Curb Ramps Research Articles

Making Quick-Build Sidewalk Extensions Accessible to Pedestrians with Vision Disabilities

Quick-build sidewalk extensions that shorten crossing distances and improve visibility between drivers and pedestrians waiting to cross the street are understood by most travelers, but wayfinding is difficult for pedestrians with vision disabilities who are unlikely to know they exist without specific familiarization. This research evaluated the effectiveness of three potential treatments for mitigating these wayfinding problems, all of which resulted in improvements in measures of wayfinding: 1) removing the detectable warning surface (DWS) from the curb ramp and installing DWS across the width of the crosswalk at the perimeter of the sidewalk extension; 2) placing a 24-inch wide strip of raised-bar tactile direction indicators with bars oriented perpendicular to the crossing direction along one side of the curb ramp and extending through the sidewalk extension to the DWS at the perimeter; and 3) placing trapezoidal tactile warning delineators (TWDs) along the edges of the crosswalk, within the sidewalk extension, to delineate the pedestrian path. A combination of moving the DWS and installing TWDs along crosswalk edges resulted in the most accurate and effective wayfinding to and through the quick-build sidewalk extension. The spacing of vertical perimeter elements (e.g., flexible posts) to ensure they were detectable by pedestrians with vision disabilities was also evaluated. Participants who traveled outside the crosswalk reliably encountered and detected at least one vertical perimeter element when the maximum separation between vertical elements was 24 inches. The perimeter was not reliably encountered and detected when the separation between vertical elements was considerably greater.

Accessibility Design Research: Redesign of the Canterbury Square

Accessibility for disabled individuals in urban environments is a fundamental aspect of inclusive design and social equity. When investigating a suitable site for this redesign project as a group, it is found some iconic outdoor barrier-free designs. Conducted the research in China, the examples include ramps, curb ramps, blind access, and other auxiliary facilities, and most of the specific relevant technologies should comply with the relevant provisions of the Code for Barrier-free Design of Urban Roads and Buildings. Despite progress in awareness and legislation, many cities around the world still face significant challenges in providing adequate access for disabled people. This essay will explore the current state of accessibility for disabled individuals in cities, focusing on the barriers they encounter, and the efforts being made to overcome them. Subsequently, this essay will also examine several exemplary architectural designs that prioritize accessibility and inclusivity, providing real-world examples of innovative solutions that enhance the quality of life for disabled individuals, which give insight into the ongoing redesign project of the Canterbury Lane Square near the Canterbury City Centre.

A specialized inclusive road dataset with elevation profiles for realistic pedestrian navigation using open geospatial data and deep learning

Built environment characteristics can greatly influence pedestrians' route choices with factors beyond distance, such as accessibility, convenience, safety, and aesthetics, playing crucial roles. Although current navigation apps, such as Google Maps and Waze, have successfully provided driving directions, their navigation services are insufficient and sometimes unrealistic for addressing pedestrians' needs, largely due to the lack of dedicated pedestrian networks and the associated navigation algorithms. To address the research gaps, this paper proposes a novel approach that integrates freely available geospatial data and computer vision technology to create a specialized inclusive network dataset for outdoor pedestrian navigation. Moreover, a pedestrian navigation algorithm is developed to generate more practical “shortest” and “alternative” paths by incorporating various sidewalk attributes. We applied the method to create a pedestrian navigation network in Las Vegas. SpaceNet's open imagery dataset was used to extract Las Vegas's road networks. A virtual audit process assessed the visual and operational properties of the sidewalk networks using Google street-level images, evaluating factors including sidewalk presence, widths, surface types and conditions, missing curb ramps, greenery, protection from weather conditions, and lighting. Google Earth's open elevation data were used to analyze road elevation profiles as meaningful 3D indicators of sidewalk accessibility for wheelchair users. Further, additional geometric properties of the network, including road curviness, proximity to road intersections, and directional changes, were detected and analyzed. A navigation experiment conducted with individuals having varying mobility abilities, including regular pedestrians, older adults, and wheelchair users demonstrated the effectiveness of the newly developed network and algorithm in meeting the diverse needs of pedestrians.

Developing Problematic Performance Value Scores: Binding Routine Activity Performance, Environmental Barriers, and Health Conditions.

Community design features, such as sidewalks and street crossings, present significant challenges for individuals with disabilities, hindering their physical performance and social integration. However, limited research has been conducted on the application of Universal Design (UD) to address these challenges, particularly concerning specific demographic groups and population cohorts. Understanding the influence of environmental features on physical performance is crucial for developing inclusive solutions like UD, which can enhance usability and social integration across diverse populations. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the complex relationships between environmental barriers, health conditions, and routine activity performance. An index was developed to evaluate users' UD performance based on functional capacity, providing scientifically rigorous and objectively measured evidence of UD effectiveness in creating inclusive built environments. Using data from the Problematic Activities Survey (PAS) conducted in the U.S., Canada, and Australia and targeting individuals with and without functional limitations, multinomial logit models were employed to estimate the probabilities of encountering performance problems. This analysis led to the development of the Problematic Performance Value (PPV) score. The results demonstrated significant disparities in PPVs across various health conditions, particularly concerning curb ramps. Individuals facing mobility issues in their legs/feet, arms/hands, or back/neck encounter more pronounced challenges, especially when curb ramps lack proper design elements. Similarly, individuals with vision impairments face heightened difficulties with traffic signals, particularly due to issues with audible signal systems. These findings underscore the importance of addressing micro-level environmental challenges to accommodate individuals with varying functional capacities effectively. By providing insights into the most problematic daily activities encountered by diverse populations, the PPV score serves as a valuable indicator for guiding environmental design improvements and promoting equitable space usage. This can be used to guide improved UD solutions and decide areas of concentration by providing generalized information on specific environmental features that contribute to user performance.

Navigating ADA Compliance

Problem, research strategy, and findings The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, set requirements that public agencies in the United States, which receive federal funds, must remove physical barriers in the public right-of-way that might prevent someone with a disability from accessing goods and services. ADA’s impact on transportation extends from equitable access in public transportation to meeting compliance requirements for curb ramps at intersections. Researchers argue that public agencies are still falling behind in ADA implementation due to scarce funding, inadequate asset inventory development, and limited transition/compliance plans. We asked: What can organizations and practitioners do to improve ADA implementation for infrastructure design and supply? We relied on an online survey (n = 206) and semistructured interviews (n = 36) with transportation practitioners across the United States. The findings revealed that ADA implementation has been thwarted due to three primary themes that make meeting ADA implementation in transportation challenging: 1) political priorities and organizational coordination that limit ADA in practice; 2) limited guidance, resources, and capacity; and 3) challenges with retrofits, new construction, and maintenance. Takeaways for practice Our work suggests that organizations and practitioners wish to expand ADA implementation, but to achieve this, additional monetary resources and employee training are needed. Requiring ADA asset inventories and compliance plans, along with developing a framework to improve accessibility from project conception to postdelivery, could incentivize widespread ADA implementation.

Performance Metrics for Implementation of Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plans

Safely walking or wheeling in a wheelchair in the community is a civil and human right. Some progress has been made in the US towards making walking/wheeling paths more accessible for people with disabilities through the construction of new curb ramps, fixing sidewalk barriers, and installing accessible pedestrian signals. However, pedestrians with disabilities continue to be limited by infrastructure barriers on sidewalks and streets. To encourage progress and government transparency, we developed a set of performance metrics for local governments to monitor and report their progress in implementing barrier removal plans, called Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plans. We used the five-step Nominal Group Technique to systematically develop and prioritize a set of performance metrics with an expert panel of ADA coordinators, disability organizations, and state and federal Department of Transportation staff. The research resulted in obtaining 53 metrics across five goals and 14 objectives that can be used to measure all phases of implementation and are intended to be customized to fit different community contexts and capacities. The metrics could be used by federal and state transportation agencies, as well as internationally, with some adaptation to ensure that adequate progress in barrier removal is being made. Local governments can use the metrics to document and communicate their progress and effectively reduce ADA compliance litigation concerns.

Changes in the provision of ecosystem services based on sidewalk tree-composition scenarios

Cities have been experiencing environmental and social issues due to urban expansion processes, be them planned or not. However, several environmental solutions have been proposed and sidewalk tree planting stands out among them. The aim of the current research is to assess the process to estimate ecosystem services under different sidewalk tree composition scenarios in Irati and Curitiba cities, Paraná State. In order to do so, 10 street segments from neighborhoods sampled in city-wide inventories were selected. Information about sidewalk length, curb ramps’ width, and number of utility poles was collected for each street segment. The number of trees to be fit in each segment and sampled neighborhood was determined based on safety recommendations for these urban structures. Tree dimensions (Diameter at Breast Height - DBH, total height and crown diameter) were projected for the 55th year post-planting, based on using minimum dimensions of seedlings from small, medium and large-sized species. It was done to estimate ecosystem services in i-Tree Eco software. Significant differences among floristic composition scenarios (p<0.05) were observed for all ecosystem services in both cities. Compositions featuring large-sized species have show higher ability to provide ecosystem services, as well as higher monetary valuation, despite fitting a smaller number of trees in the assessed street segments. The herein formulated scenarios have shown the potential to increase the number of planted trees and to select compositions capable of maximizing ecosystem services’ provision and trees’ monetary value.

Fuzzy geostatistical evaluation of micro-scale attributes of sidewalk accessibility: A Brazilian case

Walking is a primary form of mobility and accessible sidewalks are basic features in enabling it. Nevertheless, studies regarding walking and its relation with pedestrian infrastructure are still limited, especially considering a micro-scale approach and the context of developing countries. Thus, this study proposes a fuzzy geostatistical evaluation of sidewalk accessibility considering micro-scale attributes, through the development of an accessibility checklist and its application in Santa Maria city, Brazil. Micro-scale parameters regarding physical accessibility of sidewalks and intersections were applied to evaluate the infrastructure. The research denoted mostly inadequate conditions in the study area, such as: presence of surface cracking and unevennessess; existence of physical obstacles within the effective width and height; absence of tactile pavement; existence of intersections without adequate crosswalks, curb ramps and pedestrian signals. These results indicate that sidewalks and intersections need to be prioritized by local stakeholders, with improvements directed to mitigate the main issues identified.

Evaluating the effectiveness of accessibility features for roadway users with visual impairment: A case study for Nanjing, China

IntroductionRoadway users with visual impairment face significant challenges for commuting and other travel. This study aims to quantify the factors that affect the overall effectiveness of accessibility features from the perspective of roadway users with visual impairment. Sample and MethodsParticipants for this study were mainly either employees of ‘blind massage shops’ or students at the Nanjing School for the Blind. Data for 388 samples (not including 30 respondents selected for the pilot study) were collected through one-to-one interviews conducted in April 2018, among which 336 samples were validated for this study. An ordered logistic model was applied for the analysis. ResultsThe accessibility features targeted for this study, i.e., tactile paving, curb ramps, pedestrian overpasses and underpasses, accessible pedestrian signals, and intelligent voice reminders at bus stops, are positively correlated with the overall effectiveness of travel-related accessibility features for visually impaired individuals. Tactile paving that is occupied by parked vehicles, discontinuous tactile paving, and the absence of alignment cues at intersections are negatively correlated with the overall effectiveness of these accessibility features. DiscussionConclusions from this study can be adopted as guidance for the planning, construction, and maintenance of accessibility features for roadway users with visual impairment. The quality and effectiveness of each accessibility feature individually is positively correlated with their combined overall effectiveness, based on the perceptions from this study’s participants. The top two challenges associated with tactile paving are vehicles parked on tactile paving and discontinuity of the tactile pavement, both of which should be addressed to achieve better accessibility for visually impaired individuals. Alignment cues should be installed at medians and islands to better serve the visually impaired community. Implications for PractitionersRegulations should be strengthened and enforced to prohibit vehicles from parking on tactile paving. Tactile paving also should be checked for breaks in continuity and any discontinuous tactile paving should be repaired promptly. Alignment cues should be installed in urban areas to improve the safety of street crossings for visually impaired pedestrians.

Outlier bias: AI classification of curb ramps, outliers, and context

Technologies in the smart city, such as autonomous vehicles and delivery robots, promise to increase the mobility and freedom of people with disabilities. These technologies have also failed to “see” or comprehend wheelchair riders, people walking with service animals, and people walking with bicycles—all outliers to machine learning models. Big data and algorithms have been amply critiqued for their biases—harmful and systematic errors—but the harms that arise from AI's inherent inability to handle nuance, context, and exception have been largely overlooked. In this paper, I run two machine learning models across nine cities in the United States to attempt to fill a gap in data about the location of curb ramps. I find that while curb ramp prediction models may achieve up to 88% accuracy, the rate of accuracy varied in context in ways both predictable and unpredictable. I look closely at cases of unpredictable error (outlier bias), by triangulating with aerial and street view imagery. The sampling of cases shows that while it may be possible to conjecture about patterns in these errors, there is nothing clearly systematic. While more data and bigger models might improve the accuracy somewhat, I propose that a bias toward outliers is something fundamental to machine learning models which gravitate to the mean and require unbiased and not missing data. I conclude by arguing that universal design or design for the outliers is imperative for justice in the smart city where algorithms and data are increasingly embedded as infrastructure.

Use of Movable Bus Stop Loading Pads: Feasibility and Design Alternatives

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires bus stops to be accessible for individuals with disabilities. At a minimum, bus stops must have firm, stable, slip-resistant loading pads with connected sidewalks and curb ramps. Consequently, the typical approach of transit agencies has been to install permanent concrete loading pads at bus stops. This study explored alternatives to conventional concrete pads with movable pads that could be installed quickly, resulting in savings in construction and labor costs and minimizing both disruptions to traffic and impacts to abutting businesses. Potential design alternatives in terms of materials and structural support for these pads were evaluated. The review focused on existing and alternative design materials, especially in applications other than for transit purposes. Six materials were evaluated based on their structural performance, long-term durability, adaptability, life cycle cost, aesthetics, and safety and accessibility of transit riders with mobility devices. Of the six materials, plastic lumber and metal were found to have the highest potential to replace conventional designs. Two design alternatives that rely on the concept of bridge construction were introduced, both of which consist of four major components: foundation, slab, beam, and connections. These new design alternatives are anticipated to minimize maintenance of traffic and the need for heavy machinery to excavate, fill, and/or compact the soil.

FORENSIC TECHNIQUE: The Utilization of 3D Laser Scans for Topographic Mapping of Walking Surfaces

This case study demonstrates the forensic technique of utilizing 3D scans to provide visual topographic information about a walking surface. The case study involves a woman who allegedly experienced a slip and fall on a transition from a concrete curb ramp to an asphalt parking lot. A portion of the allegations included the potential of ice forming in the area, contributing to the fall. The plaintiff’s expert performed measurements which resulted in the reporting of inaccurately high changes in elevation in the area concluding that there were areas where water could accumulate. With the utilization of 3D scans, we were able to create a topographic map of the area and demonstrate there were no areas where precipitation could accumulate significantly. This methodology is useful to practitioners for the investigation of cases in which the question of changes in elevation and / or slopes are in question.

Guidance Surface to Help Vision-Disabled Pedestrians Locate Crosswalks and Align to Cross

Raised-bar guidance surfaces (GSs) are used internationally to help wayfinding by vision-disabled pedestrians, but they are little used in the United States. However, difficulties experienced by vision-disabled pedestrians in locating crosswalks and aligning to cross have been documented, and the installation of GSs with bars perpendicular to the crossing direction has been shown to improve locating the crosswalk and aligning to cross at noncorner crossings. The present research investigated the effect, for a total of 68 participants, of a raised-bar GS on locating crosswalks and aligning to cross at (primarily) corner crossings in three cities. Using 2- × 2-ft raised-bar GSs with bars oriented perpendicular to the crossing direction at corner crossings, and a 2-ft wide strip of GSs extending across the sidewalk at noncorner crossings, significant improvements in the accuracy of crossing starting position and alignment were observed. Accuracy in locating the crosswalk was quite good at corner crossings, and was not improved by the GS. Installation of a raised-bar GS with bars perpendicular to the crossing direction is recommended to help vision-disabled pedestrians align for crossing. At corner crossings, a 2- × 2-ft GS located beside the detectable warning surface at the bottom of curb ramps, on the side farthest from the intersection, is recommended. At noncorner crossings, a 2-ft wide strip of GS extending all the way across the sidewalk, with the bars oriented perpendicular to the crossing direction, is recommended.

A Quantitative Approach for Timing the Pedestrian Walk Interval

At a typical signalized intersection, the pedestrian phase consists of a walk interval and a change/clearance interval, during which pedestrians are given the right of way. The walk interval is intended to allow pedestrians to exit the curb ramp and enter the crosswalk. The clearance interval will enable them to cross entirely to the other side of the road. Unfortunately, the literature is quite vague on how long the walk interval should be and provides values ranging from 4 to 15 seconds based on qualitative pedestrian demand ranging from Negligible to High. To provide some quantitative guidance for walk interval selection, this paper reports on a study that collected 1,500 pedestrian movement data from 12 signalized intersections with varying pedestrian demand, pedestrian storage areas, and pedestrian push-button locations. The data was used to propose a quantitative model for designers to select the appropriate walk interval. Specifically, this paper seeks to add values to the Traffic Operations Handbook walk-interval guidelines as to how many pedestrians are considered “negligible volume” and can be accommodated by the 4 second minimum time, how many pedestrians are considered “typical volume” and require 7 to 10 seconds, and how many pedestrians are considered “high volume” and require 10 to 15 seconds, or perhaps longer. In addition to examining pedestrian demand, this paper looks at the impact of storage areas and pedestrian push-button location on pedestrian start-up time and, consequently, an appropriate walk interval.

Socioeconomic and racial disparities of sidewalk quality in a traditional rust belt city

:Neighborhood walkability is key to promoting health, accessibility, and pedestrian safety. The Accessible, Connected Communities Encouraging Safe Sidewalks (ACCESS) project was developed to assess sidewalks throughout an urban community in Pontiac, Michigan. Data were collected from 2016 to 2018 along eighty miles of sidewalk for tripping hazards, cracking, vegetation, obstructions, overhead coverage, street lighting, buffers, and crosswalks. Data were mapped in ArcGIS with sociodemographic characteristics by U.S. Census block group. The majority of sidewalks had moderate (57.6%) or major (29.4%) sidewalk quality issues, especially maintenance-related impediments (68.6%) and inadequate street lighting or shade coverage (87.2%). The majority of crosswalks had a curb ramp to improve access for people with disabilities (84.4%), however over half lacked a detectable warning strip (55.8%). Degraded sidewalk quality was associated with lower neighborhood socioeconomic status and a higher proportion of Black and Latinx residents. Equity-centered pedestrian infrastructure improvement plans can address these disparities by increasing accessible, safe active transport options that promote physical activity and reduce health disparities. Evaluations like ACCESS can connect public health professionals with municipal planners to advance Complete Streets plans and promote healthy living.

Quantifying Mobility Scooter Performance in Winter Environments

ObjectivesTo quantify mobility scooter performance when traversing snow, ice, and concrete in cold temperatures and to explore possible performance improvements with scooter winter tires. DesignCross-sectional. SettingHospital-based research institute. ParticipantsTwo drivers (50 and 100 kg) tested 8 scooter models (N=8). Two mobility scooters were used for winter tire testing. InterventionsScooters were tested on 3 different conditions in a random sequence (concrete, 2.5-cm depth snow, bare ice). Ramp ascent and descent, as well as right-angle cornering up to a maximum of 10° slopes on winter conditions, were observed. Winter tire testing used the same slopes with 2 scooters on bare and melting ice surfaces. Main Outcome MeasuresMaximum achievable angle (MAA) and tire traction loss for ramp ascent and descent performance. The ability to steer around a corner on the ramp. ResultsAll scooters underperformed in winter conditions, specifically when traversing snow- and ice-covered slopes (χ2 [2, N=8]=13.87-15.55, P<.001) and corners (χ2 [2, N=8]=12.25, P<.01). Half of the scooters we tested were unable to climb a 1:12 grade (4.8°) snow-covered slope without losing traction. All but 1 failed to ascend an ice-covered 1:12 grade (4.8°) slope. Performance was even more unsatisfactory for the forward downslopes on both snow and ice. Winter tires enhanced the MAA, permitting 1:12 (4.8°) slope ascent on ice. ConclusionsMobility scooters need to be designed with winter months in mind. Our findings showed that Americans with Disabilities Act–compliant built environments, such as curb ramps that conform to a 1:12 (4.8°) slope, become treacherous or impassible to mobility scooter users when covered in ice or snow. Scooter manufacturers should consider providing winter tires as optional accessories in regions that experience ice and snow accumulation. Additional testing/standards need to be established to evaluate winter mobility scooter performance further.

Are communities in the United States planning for pedestrians with disabilities? Findings from a systematic evaluation of local government barrier removal plans

Cities with many pedestrian barriers can inhibit community mobility, access to services, and social participation for people with disabilities. Although National Disability Rights policies have been enacted in several nations, it is unclear what progress local governments have made in developing plans and implementing accessibility improvements to the pedestrian infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the existence and quality of city plans used to remove barriers for pedestrians with disabilities. We conducted a systematic evaluation of American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plans, for a stratified random sample of local cities and counties. An expert panel developed a quality appraisal tool that we used to evaluate plans. Among the 401 government entities reviewed, only 13% (54) had ADA transition plans readily available. Just seven of the 54 plans we acquired met all the minimum criteria required. Based on those reporting barriers, an average of 65% of curb ramps and 48% of sidewalks were not accessible. Many communities across the US have not developed ADA transition plans for pedestrian infrastructure or have developed low-quality plans. This case study provides insight on local level implementation of barrier removal plans whose lessons may apply inside and outside of the US.

Walk'n’roll: Mapping street-level accessibility for different mobility conditions in Cuenca, Ecuador

IntroductionApproximately 66 million people with disabilities (PWD) live in Latin America and the Caribbean. Despite the important advances in regulations for social inclusion in this region, urban public spaces are not accessible to PWD. In this study, we assess street-level accessibility in the city of Cuenca (Ecuador) to examine the disparities for people with different mobility conditions. MethodsWe designed and implemented a mobile-based tool to audit street-level accessibility related to two key issues: the compliance level with the national standard for accessibility (NAMF) and the presence and characteristics of obstacles that hinder pedestrian mobility. A set of 214 street segments were audited by volunteers with different mobility conditions (unrestricted, restricted, or impaired). The collected data were analysed to compute accessibility indices (AIs) for each condition ranging from 0 (totally inaccessible) to 1 (totally accessible). AI values were examined to determine the differences among conditions. ResultsNone of the 214 audited street segments fully complied with the NAMF. The AIs were: unrestricted mobility = 0.4, restricted mobility = 0.29, impaired mobility = 0.12. Eighty-three percent of the audited streets were perceived as highly inaccessible by wheelchair users, whereas for individuals with restricted or unrestricted mobility, the rates were 50% and 34%, respectively. Most streets were affected by obstacles that hindered mobility, with curb ramps and driveway ramps having the highest impact on accessibility. ConclusionThe urban streets of Cuenca are highly inaccessible, mainly due to their flawed design and the presence of obstacles, creating excluding environments for people with mobility restrictions or impairments. National regulations are failing to tackle all the issues that hinder accessibility and must be revised. Cuenca, together with other intermediate cities in Latin America, must redesign their sidewalks and pedestrian facilities to allow universal accessibility.

SmartWheels: Detecting urban features for wheelchair users’ navigation

People with mobility impairments have heterogeneous needs and abilities while moving in an urban environment and hence they require personalized navigation instructions. Providing these instructions requires the knowledge of urban features like curb ramps, steps or other obstacles along the way. Since these urban features are not available from maps and change in time, crowdsourcing this information from end-users is a scalable and promising solution. However, it is inconvenient for wheelchair users to input data while on the move. Hence, an automatic crowdsourcing mechanism is needed.In this contribution we present SmartWheels, a solution to detect urban features by analyzing inertial sensors data produced by wheelchair movements. Activity recognition techniques are used to process the sensors data stream. SmartWheels is evaluated on data collected from 17 real wheelchair users navigating in a controlled environment (10 users) and in-the-wild (7 users). Experimental results show that SmartWheels is a viable solution to detect urban features, in particular by applying specific strategies based on the confidence assigned to predictions by the classifier.

Sunlight Degradation of Polymeric Detectable Warning Surface Products

Detectable warning surface (DWS) is a panel product installed at the edge of curb ramps to warn visually impaired pedestrians about the proximity of the roadway. Most DWS products are made of polymers and are subjected to outdoor weathering. Therefore, sunlight degradation is an important factor that affects their service life. In this study, the effects of sunlight on material degradation in four DWS products made from polyester, neopentylglycol (NPG), polyurethane, and polyolefin were evaluated by exposing DWS test coupons in a xenon weatherometer. The exposure conditions were largely based on ASTM D 2565 for a duration of 3,000 h. Color change induced by radiation was measured using a spectro-colorimeter. The fastest discoloration was measured in DWS made from polyurethane. The largest color change occurred between 500 and 1,000 h for polyurethane and between 1,000 and 3,000 h for other polymers. The changes of surface appearance observed under a digital microscope were consistent with the discoloration. The reinforcing fibers in DWS products made from polyester and polyurethane were revealed after 3,000 h exposure. Decrease in surface wear resistance was obtained in tested coupons that were exposed to the highest irradiance level. The product made from NPG exhibited the greatest decrease in wear resistance, while that made from polyolefin showed the least change.