Twede v. Univ. of Wash.
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Opinion
JAMES L. ROBART, United States District Judge
I. INTRODUCTION
Before the court is Defendant University of Washington's ("UW")
*891Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss Plaintiffs Erik Twede, Barry Long, and Olivia Williams's first amended complaint. (See MTD (Dkt. # 32); see also FAC (Dkt. # 30).) The court has considered the motion, Plaintiffs' response (Resp. (Dkt. # 35) ), UW's reply (Reply (Dkt. # 36) ), the relevant portions of the record, and the applicable law. Being fully advised,1 the court GRANTS in part and DENIES in part the motion.
II. BACKGROUND
On November 14, 2016, Plaintiffs filed their original complaint alleging that 86 of UW's parking lots2 violate Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"),
On September 21, 2017, Plaintiffs filed a first amended complaint. (See FAC.) Plaintiffs' first amended complaint reiterates the parking lot allegations but adds new allegations that the parking lots and structures contain "accessible routes" to certain unidentified building entrances that "do not comply with 1991 and 2010 ADA standards." (Id. ¶ 6.) The first amended complaint also alleges that the parking lots contain "other forms of ADA non-compliance," including "inaccessible pay kiosks, insufficient/unsafe accessible routes, including ramps, curb ramps, paths of travel, and signage barriers." (Id. ) In addition, the first amended complaint alleges that UW violates the ADA by not ticketing vehicles parked in accessible spots which lack a disabled parking permit, and by issuing disabled parking permits to persons who do not have "state-issued disabled parking placards." (Id. ¶¶ 7-8, 54-55.) Like Plaintiffs' original complaint, the first amended complaint raises claims under Title II of the ADA, the RA, and the WLAD (id. ¶¶ 56-85) and seeks only declaratory and injunctive relief (id. § VII).
Mr. Twede alleges that he regularly travels to UW Medical Center and "encounter[s] a number of barriers to access" at the " 'Triangle' (C20 and C21) and 'Surgery *892Pavillion' (UMSP) parking lots," which are located near the UW Medical Center. (Id. ¶¶ 11-14.) He alleges that he has "patronized these parking lots in the past and intends to do so in the future." (Id. ¶ 15.) He does not allege that he has visited or attempted to visit any of the other 86 UW parking lots mentioned in the first amended complaint. (See generally
Ms. Williams claims that she is a sophomore at UW and regularly travels to UW for classes. (Id. ¶ 25.) Similar to Mr. Twede, Ms. Williams alleges that she "has encountered a number of barriers to access" at the "N22" and "W35" parking lots, which are "popular places to park for students attending classes and civic, social, and entertainment events at UW." (Id. ¶¶ 26-28.) She alleges that she has "patronized these parking lots in the past and intends to continue to do so in the future." (Id. ¶ 29.) She does not claim to have visited or attempted to visit any of the other 86 UW parking lots mentioned in the first amended complaint. (See generally
Mr. Long alleges that he regularly travels to UW for Spinal Cord Injury Forum meetings, medical appointments, speaking engagements, business meetings, social activities, and sporting events. (Id. ¶ 18.) Mr. Long alleges that he has patronized 32 parking lots at UW3 and intends to do so in the future. (Id. ¶¶ 19, 21.) Unlike the other two Plaintiffs, Mr. Long does not say that he has personally encountered any barriers to access at any of UW's parking facilities. (See
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JAMES L. ROBART, United States District Judge
I. INTRODUCTION
Before the court is Defendant University of Washington's ("UW")
*891Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss Plaintiffs Erik Twede, Barry Long, and Olivia Williams's first amended complaint. (See MTD (Dkt. # 32); see also FAC (Dkt. # 30).) The court has considered the motion, Plaintiffs' response (Resp. (Dkt. # 35) ), UW's reply (Reply (Dkt. # 36) ), the relevant portions of the record, and the applicable law. Being fully advised,1 the court GRANTS in part and DENIES in part the motion.
II. BACKGROUND
On November 14, 2016, Plaintiffs filed their original complaint alleging that 86 of UW's parking lots2 violate Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"),
On September 21, 2017, Plaintiffs filed a first amended complaint. (See FAC.) Plaintiffs' first amended complaint reiterates the parking lot allegations but adds new allegations that the parking lots and structures contain "accessible routes" to certain unidentified building entrances that "do not comply with 1991 and 2010 ADA standards." (Id. ¶ 6.) The first amended complaint also alleges that the parking lots contain "other forms of ADA non-compliance," including "inaccessible pay kiosks, insufficient/unsafe accessible routes, including ramps, curb ramps, paths of travel, and signage barriers." (Id. ) In addition, the first amended complaint alleges that UW violates the ADA by not ticketing vehicles parked in accessible spots which lack a disabled parking permit, and by issuing disabled parking permits to persons who do not have "state-issued disabled parking placards." (Id. ¶¶ 7-8, 54-55.) Like Plaintiffs' original complaint, the first amended complaint raises claims under Title II of the ADA, the RA, and the WLAD (id. ¶¶ 56-85) and seeks only declaratory and injunctive relief (id. § VII).
Mr. Twede alleges that he regularly travels to UW Medical Center and "encounter[s] a number of barriers to access" at the " 'Triangle' (C20 and C21) and 'Surgery *892Pavillion' (UMSP) parking lots," which are located near the UW Medical Center. (Id. ¶¶ 11-14.) He alleges that he has "patronized these parking lots in the past and intends to do so in the future." (Id. ¶ 15.) He does not allege that he has visited or attempted to visit any of the other 86 UW parking lots mentioned in the first amended complaint. (See generally
Ms. Williams claims that she is a sophomore at UW and regularly travels to UW for classes. (Id. ¶ 25.) Similar to Mr. Twede, Ms. Williams alleges that she "has encountered a number of barriers to access" at the "N22" and "W35" parking lots, which are "popular places to park for students attending classes and civic, social, and entertainment events at UW." (Id. ¶¶ 26-28.) She alleges that she has "patronized these parking lots in the past and intends to continue to do so in the future." (Id. ¶ 29.) She does not claim to have visited or attempted to visit any of the other 86 UW parking lots mentioned in the first amended complaint. (See generally
Mr. Long alleges that he regularly travels to UW for Spinal Cord Injury Forum meetings, medical appointments, speaking engagements, business meetings, social activities, and sporting events. (Id. ¶ 18.) Mr. Long alleges that he has patronized 32 parking lots at UW3 and intends to do so in the future. (Id. ¶¶ 19, 21.) Unlike the other two Plaintiffs, Mr. Long does not say that he has personally encountered any barriers to access at any of UW's parking facilities. (See
III. ANALYSIS
UW brings a motion to dismiss Plaintiffs' ADA and RA claims on grounds of lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim on which relief can be granted. (See MTD at 1 (citing Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) ).) The court now considers Plaintiffs' motion.
A. Legal Standards
1. Article III Standing and Rule 12(b)(1) Motion
UW challenges Plaintiffs' standing under Article III of the Constitution. (MTD at 7-17.) Article III's "case and controversy" requirement obligates federal courts to determine, as an initial matter, whether plaintiffs have standing to bring suit.
*893Lance v. Coffman ,
Challenges to Article III standing are evaluated under Rule 12(b)(1). Maya ,
2. Rule 12(b)(6) Motion
"A motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted 'tests the legal sufficiency of a claim.' " Conservation Force v. Salazar ,
B. Article III Standing
In Doran , the Ninth Circuit stated that "it is access barriers that the ADA
*894plaintiff actually encountered or about which he had personal knowledge that 'confer' standing on him under Article III."
In addition, "a plaintiff seeking injunctive relief must ... demonstrate 'a sufficient likelihood that he will again be wronged in a similar way' "-in other words "he must establish a 'real and immediate threat of repeated injury.' "
UW argues that Plaintiffs fail to allege an injury-in-fact that results from a violation of the ADA. (See MTD at 8.) Collectively, Plaintiffs allege that they have visited 35 of the 864 parking lots referenced in the first amended complaint and its exhibits. (See FAC ¶¶ 12, 14-15, 19, 21, 26, 28-29.) UW argues that Plaintiffs lack standing both for the parking lots that they have visited and for those that they have not visited. (MTD at 8-14.) The court will address each argument in turn.
1. Visited Parking Lots
UW relies on the Ninth Circuit's decision in Chapman to argue that Plaintiffs' allegations concerning the UW parking lots they have visited are inadequate to confer Article III standing.5 (See MTD at 8-12.) The court is persuaded, however, that Chapman is distinguishable and that Plaintiffs' allegations are sufficient to confer standing for the visited parking lots.
In Chapman , the plaintiff's complaint contained bare allegations that he was "physically disabled," that he "visited the [facility]," and that he "encountered architectural barriers that denied him full and equal access."
In contrast to the allegations in Chapman , Plaintiffs' allegations here are more specific. First, the first amended complaint contains identifies which parking lots were visited or patronized by each Plaintiff. (FAC ¶¶ 12, 14-15, 21-22, 26, 28-29.) They allege that they have "mobility impairment disabilities," use a "powerchair and modified van with a ramp" or "manual wheelchair" for transportation, and require "accessible parking and an accessible route to be able to patronize places of public accommodation." (Id. ¶¶ 10, 17, 24.) Further, each Plaintiff alleges his or her knowledge of the barriers at issue and connects each barrier to his or her disability-explaining the impact that the barriers have on his or her access to the facility. (See id. ¶¶ 6, 14, 16, 22, 28, 30.)
For example, Mr. Twede states that he has "encountered a number of barriers to access" at the two lots he has visited that include but are not limited to:
... not enough accessible parking spaces and accessible routes with obstructions at the Surgery pavilion lot; and not enough van accessible parking spaces, insufficient accessible parking signage, missing access, aisles, insufficient accessible routes, including curb ramps and ramps, accessible parking slope violations in the C20 and C21 garages.
(FAC ¶ 14.) He further alleges that (1) he cannot safely use non-accessible parking spaces if an insufficient number of accessible parking spaces have been provided, (2) a lack of sufficient accessible parking signage means he may be forced to either park in an unsafe non-accessible parking space or be unable to park at all, (3) where the slope is not level, exiting and entering his modified van is impossible and/or dangerous, and (4) the lack of compliant curbs and curb ramps creates a tripping hazard. (Id. ¶ 16(a), (d), (h)-(j).)
Ms. Williams states that she has "encountered a number of barriers to access" at the two lots she has visited that include but are not limited to:
... insufficient accessible parking signage, insufficient accessible routes to surrounding campus buildings, and slope violations at N22; and not enough van accessible parking spaces, insufficient accessible parking signage, missing access aisles, insufficient accessible routes to surrounding campus buildings, and accessible parking slope violations at W35.
(Id. ¶ 28.) She further alleges that (1) as a result of insufficient signage, she may be unable to find accessible parking and be forced to either park in an unsafe, non-accessible space or be unable to park at *896all, (2) not having sufficient accessible routes near accessible entrances causes "risk and access barriers" when she travels from her vehicle to the accessible entrances of surrounding buildings, (3) exiting and entering her modified vehicle is impossible and/or dangerous when the slope of the accessible space is not level, (4) insufficient accessible van parking means that she may have to park in an unsafe non-accessible parking space or be unable to park at all, and (5) missing access aisles make exiting and entering her modified vehicle either impossible or dangerous. (Id. ¶ 30(c)-(f).)
Mr. Long's allegations are sparser than those of his fellow Plaintiffs. (Compare id. ¶¶ 17-22 with id. ¶¶ 10-16, 23-30.) Nevertheless, he alleges that he has "patronized" 32 UW parking lots and "has knowledge of ... accessibility barriers ... which he has either encountered personally or of which he is specifically aware."6 (Id. ¶¶ 19, 21-22.) Like Mr. Twede and Ms. Williams, Mr. Long ties those barriers to his disability and the impact the barriers have on his access. (See id. ¶ 22(a)-(k).)
For Plaintiffs' allegations to be sufficient to establish Article III standing, they cannot simply plead that they are "physically disabled," and that they "visited the [facility]," and "encountered ... barriers" that denied them "full and equal access." Chapman ,
2. Unvisited Parking Lots
Plaintiffs allege that they have either visited or patronized only 35 parking lots at UW.8 Nevertheless, their first amended complaint references at total of 86 lots.9 UW argues that Plaintiffs lack standing to challenge barriers in the 51 parking lots they never visited. (MTD at 12-14.) UW argues that even if Plaintiffs have standing to challenge unencountered barriers at the parking lot they have visited, Plaintiffs lack standing to challenge barriers at parking lots they never visited because each lot represents a separate facility, and Plaintiffs fail to allege any intent or desire to patronize these unvisited lots in the future even assuming the alleged barriers are removed. (See
As discussed above, "[t]he standard for injury in fact is whether [the plaintiff] has encountered at least one barrier that interfered with her access to the particular public facility and whether she intends to return or is deterred from returning to that facility." Kirola ,
UW argues that each of the various parking lots distributed widely throughout its 600-acre campus constitutes a separate facility. (See Reply (Dkt. # 36) at 4 (citing Eskridge Decl. (Dkt. # 33) ¶ 9, Ex. F (attaching UW's current official campus map issued in May 2016) ).)10 In their first amended complaint, Plaintiffs implicitly acknowledge that UW's campus includes many "parking facilities"-not just one. (See FAC ¶¶ 6, 9, 16, 16(g)-(j), 22, 22(f)-(i), 24, 30, 30(f)-(i), 39-41, 46, 50, 52, 65, 65(b), 78 (repeatedly referring to UW's various parking lots as separate "parking facilities").) Further, Plaintiffs repeatedly allege *898that "each [UW] campus parking facility" violated the ADA (id. ¶¶ 16, 22, 28), and the first amended complaint analyzes ADA compliance on a parking facility-by-parking facility basis (see FAC Exs. A-E).
Further, this analysis is consistent with the 1991 and 2010 ADA standards, which set forth the design standards on a lot-by-lot or facility-by-facility basis, with a minimum number of accessible and van accessible spaces per number of parking spaces provided in each separate parking "lot," "parking area," or "parking facility." 28 C.F.R. Part 36, App. D § 4.1.2 (1991 Standards requiring minimum number of accessible spots based on the number of spaces in each separate "lot" or "parking area"); 36 C.F.R. Part 1191, App. B § 208.2 (same for 2010 Standards based upon each separate "parking facility"). Because UW's separately-identified parking lots each constitute a separate "facility" under the ADA, Plaintiffs do not have standing to challenge barriers in the 51 lots that they have neither visited and nor alleged an intent or desire to visit in the future. See Chapman ,
To clarify, Plaintiffs need not physically visit a facility or encounter a barrier to allege an ADA claim, but they must at least attempt to access a facility or have an interest in doing so and have knowledge of the barrier or barriers at issue, which deter a desired visit. For example, in Civil Rights Education & Enforcement Center v. Hospitality Properties Trust ,
In contrast to the circumstances in CREEC , Plaintiffs do not allege that they have attempted to visit any of the unvisited parking lots. Likewise, Plaintiffs' first amended complaint contains no allegations suggesting that Plaintiffs are likely to visit, have any intention or desire to visit any of the 51 parking facilities that they have not visited. In the absence of such allegations, there is no basis to suggest that Plaintiffs are likely to be harmed by alleged barriers in these unvisited parking lots.
The closest Plaintiffs come to alleging such harm is when they state that they "face a future threat that they will encounter difficulty" at unvisited lots and that "[t]his threat has dissuaded them and will continue to dissuade them from using these ... parking facilities." (FAC ¶ 52.) But lacking any allegation that Plaintiffs have any intent or desire to utilize the unvisited parking facilities if the alleged barriers were removed, Plaintiffs' conclusory allegations that they are dissuaded from using the facilities do not establish the requisite "real and immediate threat of repeated injury in the future," Chapman ,
C. Rule 12(b)(6)
To demonstrate a prima facie case under Title II of the ADA (or the RA), plaintiff must show:
(1) she is an individual with a disability; (2) she has otherwise qualified to participate or receive the benefit of a public entity's services, programs or activities; (3) she was either excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of the public entity's services, programs or activities or was otherwise discriminated against by the public entity; and (4) such exclusion, denial of benefits or discrimination was by reason of her disability.
Sheehan v. City & Cty. of S.F. ,
1. Plaintiffs' Disabilities
In a footnote in its motion, UW argues that Plaintiffs fail to adequately plead the disability requirement of a Title II ADA claim. (MTD at 10 n.9.) Here, Plaintiffs allege that they have "mobility impairment disabilities" and require "accessible parking and an accessible route to be able to patronize places of public accommodation." (FAC ¶¶ 5, 10, 17, 24.) Plaintiffs also allege that they use either a manual wheel chair or a powerchair and accessible van for transportation. (Id. ¶¶ 10, 17, 24.)
Under the ADA, the "disability" of an individual is defined as:
(a) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual;
(b) a record of such impairment; or
(c) being regarded as having such an impairment.
"[C]ourts have generally required the plaintiff to plead the [element of] disability with some factual specificity." Klamut v. Cal. Highway Patrol , No. 15-cv-02132-MEJ,
2. Parking Facilities Built Prior to January 26, 1992
"An individual is excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of a public program if 'a public entity's facilities are inaccessible to or unusable by individuals with disabilities." Daubert v. Lindsay Unified Sch. Dist. ,
*901Smith v. City of Lodi , No. 2:14-cv-01318-TLN-AC,
Plaintiffs allege "[o]n information and belief" that "the parking facilities operated by ... UW were either constructed or altered after January 26, 1992." (FAC ¶ 40.) Plaintiffs do not allege that any of the parking facilities predate January 26, 1992. (See generally
UW argues that Plaintiffs mischaracterize UW's parking lots as a "service, program or activity" under
Plaintiffs rely primarily on Fortyune v. City of Lomita ,
There is no doubt that providing parking for those who visit its campus is something that UW "does." However, the court's analysis does not end with the Ninth Circuit's opinion in Fortyune. There is a distinction between the on-street parking generally provided by a city to its citizens and visitors and the parking lots built by UW so that its students, patients, and other patrons can access the various educational, medical, and other services that UW provides. Indeed, since issuing Fortyune , the Ninth Circuit "has rejected the notion that providing a particular facility is a service, program, or activity for purposes of Title II" of the ADA, and has "focus[ed] instead on the broader purpose for which the facility exists." Rodriguez v. Cty. of San Diego , No. 14CV949-JLS-RBB,
Careful analysis of the Ninth Circuit's decision in Daubert illuminates this distinction. In Daubert , the plaintiff sued the defendant school district claiming ADA discrimination based on seating at the school district's football field.
Daubert is instructive for setting the parameters of the "service, program, or activity" at issue here. In the same way that access to the south-side bleachers was not a public program offered by the school district in Daubert , so too is access to parking lots not a public program offered by UW. See id. at 987. Just as the bleachers in Daubert were merely incidental to the football games or sporting activity offered by the defendant school district, UW's parking lots are "merely incidental" to the programs offered by UW-such as UW's various educational, medical, civic, and sporting services or programs. See id.
This result is not contrary to Fortyune. In Barden , the Ninth Circuit explained that local governments must maintain accessible sidewalks because "maintaining public sidewalks is a normal function of a city and 'without doubt something that the City does.' "
Finally, the court notes that even Plaintiffs' own allegations reinforce the concept that UW's parking lots are facilities that are "merely incidental" to the other various programs UW offers. For example, Plaintiffs allege that Mr. Twede "regularly travels to ... the [UW] Medical Center," which "is frequently visited by numerous patients annually for medical treatment," and that he parks in the C20 and C21 parking lots "due to their convenient location near the ... Medical Center." (FAC ¶¶ 11, 13, 15.) Similarly, Ms. Williams is a sophomore at UW who "regularly travels to UW for classes." (Id. ¶ 25.) She patronizes the N22 and W35 parking lots, which "are popular places for students attending classes and civic, social, and entertainment events at UW." (Id. ¶¶ 26-27, 29.) Likewise, Mr. Long "regularly travels to UW ... for Spinal Cord Injury Forum meetings, medical appointments, speaking engagements, business meetings, social activities, and sporting events." (Id. ¶ 18.) He patronizes various parking lots at UW "due to their convenient location near [UW]" and because they "are popular places to park for medical appointments and civic, social, business, and sporting events." (Id. ¶¶ 20-21.) Thus, even Plaintiffs' own allegations support the conclusion that they utilize the parking facilities at issue as "incidental" to their access of UW's various educational, medical, civic, social, sporting, and other programs. See Daubert ,
Nevertheless, even if UW's parking lots represent "a service, program, or activity" of UW, see
Plaintiffs' allegations relate to particular deficiencies in individual parking lots or facilities. (See generally FAC.) There are no specific (or even general) allegations about the accessibility of UW's alleged parking services as a whole or in its entirety. Such allegations are necessary to determine if Plaintiffs have a plausible claim that UW has denied Plaintiffs meaningful access to its alleged parking services. Indeed, individual, noncompliant elements of a program or service are not necessarily relevant to whether a program-in its entirety-violates that ADA. See, e.g. , Daubert ,
3. Parking Facilities Built after January 26, 1992
As noted above, Plaintiffs allege "[o]n information and belief" that "the parking facilities operated by ... UW were either constructed or altered after January 26, 1992." (FAC ¶ 40.) Facilities newly built or altered after January 26, 1992, are subject to more specific requirements, but the requirements for facilities constructed or altered after January 26, 1992, differ "depending on the date each facility was last altered." (MTD at 10.) For example, physical construction or alterations commenced after July 26, 1992, but prior to September 15, 2010, must comply with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards ("UFAS") or the 1991 Standards for Accessible Design ("1991 Standards").
Because the foregoing standards differ in many respect, UW argues that by failing to allege the date any of the parking facilities were constructed or last altered, Plaintiffs failed to allege a plausible ADA claim. (MTD at 19-21, Reply at 10-11.) The information that UW argues that Plaintiffs must plead concerning the dates of construction or alteration to UW's parking facilities is likely to be in UW's possession. "Where a plaintiff is at an informational disadvantage-where the information necessary to plead with greater specificity is in the possession of the defendant-courts give plaintiffs 'some benefit of the doubt to go along with the *905specific facts it has pled.' " Hamblen v. Diamante Crossroads Plaza, LLC , No. CV 08-0561-PHX-JAT,
4. Allegations Concerning Routes, Entrances, Kiosks, and Signage Added in FAC
UW moves to dismiss Plaintiffs new allegations in their first amended complaint concerning "accessible routes" in the parking lots that "do not comply with the 1991 and 2010 ADA standards." (MTD at 21-23; see also FAC ¶ 6.) UW also moves to dismiss new allegations in Plaintiffs' first amended complaint that the parking lots "contain other forms of ADA non-compliance," including "inaccessible pay kiosks, insufficient/unsafe accessible routes, including ramps, curb ramps, paths of travel, and signage barriers." (MTD at 21-23; see also FAC ¶ 6.) UW argues that these allegations are insufficiently pleaded because Plaintiffs fail to provide UW with fair notice of these allegedly noncompliant architectural features.
UW relies primarily on Oliver v. Ralphs Grocery Co. ,
Based on the Ninth Circuit's rulings and analysis in Oliver and Gray , the court concludes that Plaintiffs' allegations concerning accessible routes, building entrances, payment kiosks, ramps, curb ramps, paths of travel, and signage barriers in paragraph six of their first amended complaint are insufficient, by themselves, because they fail to place UW on notice of the specific noncompliant features at issue or the location of those features. However, as Plaintiffs note, some of these noncompliant features and their locations are specifically identified in the exhibits to Plaintiffs' first amended complaint. (See Resp. at 23 & n.51 (citing FAC Ex. A ¶¶ 1(a), 2(a), 3(a), 4(a), 7(a), 8(a), 9(a), 10(a), 11(a), 12(a), 19(a); Ex. B ¶¶ 1(a), 9(a), 16(a), 19(a); Ex. C ¶¶ 1(a), 5(a); Ex. D at ¶¶ 3(a), 4(a), 6(a), 7(a), 10(a), 12(a), 14(a); Ex. E ¶¶ 3(a), 4(a), 5(a), 7(a), 9(a), 11(a), 13(a), 15(a), 16(a) ).) Thus, to the extent these allegedly noncompliant features and their locations are identified in the exhibits to Plaintiffs' first amended complaint, UW's motion is denied. However, the court grants UW's motion and dismisses Plaintiffs' claims concerning the allegedly noncompliant features that are not identified in the first amended complaint's exhibits.17
D. Leave to Amend the First Amended Complaint
Plaintiffs ask the court for leave to amend their first amended complaint. (Resp. at 23-24.) The standard for granting leave to amend is generous-the court "should freely give leave when justice so requires." Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(2). In determining whether leave to amend is appropriate, a court must consider the following five factors: (1) bad faith, (2) undue delay, (3) whether the plaintiff previously amended the complaint, (4) prejudice to the opposing party, and (5) futility of amendment. United States v. Corinthian Colleges ,
First, granting leave to amend would cause undue delay in the proceedings and would be prejudicial. The discovery cutoff in this case was February 6, 2018. (12/15/17 Order (Dkt. # 43) (extending discovery cutoff from 1/22/2018 to 2/6/18).) Dispositive motions are presently due on February 20, 2018, and trial will commence on May 21, 2018. (Sched. Order (Dkt. # 15) at 1.) The court previously granted Plaintiffs leave to amend their allegations. (See MTA (Dkt. # 20); Min. Entry (Dkt. # 29) (granting motion to amend).) Allowing Plaintiffs to further amend their first amended complaint at this late date and on the eve of the dispositive motions deadline would force the court to delay these proceedings. To avoid prejudice, the court would be required to reopen discovery and postpone both the dispositive motions deadline and trial. Accordingly, the court is disinclined to grant leave to amend under these circumstances. See Solomon v. N. Am. Life & Cas. Ins. Co. ,
In addition, it would be futile for the court to grant Plaintiffs leave to amend their claims concerning the 51 parking facilities that they have not visited. The court has ruled as a matter of law that Plaintiffs lack standing to assert ADA violations with respect to these parking lots. The court's ruling rests on the absence of allegations suggesting that Plaintiffs are likely to visit, have any intention or desire to visit, or will incur harm at any of the 51 parking facilities that they have not visited. See supra § III.B.2. Allowing Plaintiffs to amend to so allege now would be inconsistent with both Plaintiffs' original and first amended complaint. See Reddy v. Litton Indus., Inc. ,
It also would be futile to grant leave to amend Plaintiffs' claims concerning UW's parking facilities that were built prior to January 26, 1992, and not subsequently modified. The court has ruled as a matter of law that these facilities do not constitute a service or program that falls within the confines of
Finally, the court also denies Plaintiffs leave to amend the new allegations added to their first amended complaint concerning accessibility routes, entrances, kiosks, and signage. See supra § III.C.4. Plaintiffs added these allegations after the court granted their motion to amend their original complaint. (See MTA; Min. Entry.) With their original complaint, Plaintiffs filed five exhibits providing descriptions and pictures of alleged ADA violations throughout the UW parking lots at issue in their complaint. (See Compl. Exs. A-E.) Plaintiffs did not amend these exhibits when they amended their complaint, but rather attached the same exhibits to their first amended complaint. (See FAC Exs. A-E.) As Plaintiffs acknowledge in their response to UW's motion to dismiss, these exhibits "identify accessible route, signage, and kiosk violations." (Resp. at 23.) Plaintiffs had the opportunity to amend these exhibits to identify additional alleged violations with respect to these issues when they filed their first amended complaint, but they chose not to do so. Because Plaintiffs have already had the opportunity to amend their complaint concerning these claims, the court declines to grant them an additional opportunity now. See Cafasso, U.S. ex rel. v. Gen. Dynamics C4 Sys., Inc. ,
*908IV. CONCLUSION
Based on the analysis herein, the court GRANTS in part and DENIES in part UW's motion to dismiss (Dkt. # 32). The court DENIES Plaintiffs' request for leave to amend their first amended complaint (Dkt. # 35).
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