Handicapped Access Will Cost City $360 Million

Making Los Angeles’ sidewalks and government buildings accessible to the handicapped will cost an estimated $360 million and will require increased fees or taxes to pay for it, according to a report released this week.

The costly repair work must be completed by January, 1995, to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was approved by Congress in 1990, city officials said.

The city’s engineering bureau says the repairs could be paid for through a bond measure, a property tax hike or a service fee charged to property owners based on pedestrian traffic. The Board of Public Works scheduled a Jan. 20 public hearing on the report.