Uniform minimum standards for design, construction, and maintenance; advisory committees.

(1) The department shall develop and adopt uniform minimum standards and criteria for the design, construction, and maintenance of all public streets, roads, highways, bridges, sidewalks, curbs and curb ramps, crosswalks, where feasible, bicycle ways, underpasses, and overpasses used by the public for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. In developing such standards and criteria, the department shall consider design approaches which provide for the compatibility of such facilities with the surrounding natural or manmade environment; the safety and security of public spaces; and the appropriate aesthetics based upon scale, color, architectural style, materials used to construct the facilities, and the landscape design and landscape materials around the facilities. The department shall annually provide funds in its tentative work program to implement the provisions of this subsection relating to aesthetic design standards. The minimum standards adopted must include a requirement that permanent curb ramps be provided at crosswalks at all intersections where curbs and sidewalks are constructed in order to give handicapped persons and persons in wheelchairs safe access to crosswalks.

(2) An advisory committee of professional engineers employed by any city or any county in each transportation district to aid in the development of such standards shall be appointed by the head of the department. Such committee shall be composed of: one member representing an urban center within each district; one member representing a rural area within each district; one member within each district who is a professional engineer and who is not employed by any governmental agency; and one member employed by the department for each district.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, all plans and specifications for the construction of public streets and roads by any municipality or county shall provide for permanent curb ramps at crosswalks at all intersections where curbs and sidewalks are constructed in order to give handicapped persons and persons in wheelchairs safe access to crosswalks.

(4) All design and construction plans for projects that are to become part of the county road system and are required to conform with the design and construction standards established pursuant to subsection (1) must be certified to be in substantial conformance with the standards established pursuant to subsection (1) that are then in effect by a professional engineer who is registered in this state.

(5) Curb ramps which are required by subsections (1) and (3) to be provided at all intersections of curbs and sidewalks on public streets and roads shall be constructed to be in substantial conformance with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards published by the General Services Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Defense, and United States Postal Service. The provisions of this subsection apply to curb ramps let to contract on or after July 1, 1986.

(6) If the governing body of a county or municipality has adopted a design element as part of its comprehensive plan pursuant to part II of chapter 163, the department shall consider such element during project development of transportation facilities. The design of transportation facilities constructed by the department within the boundaries of that county or municipality must be consistent with that element to the maximum extent feasible.