Disabled in Action of Pennsylvania v. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority

OPINION OF THE COURT

In this statutory interpretation case, we must decide when the statute of limitations begins to run in a case arising under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act,(RA). Appellant Disabled in Action of Pennsylvania (DIA) argues that under the plain language of the statute, its claims accrued “upon the completion” of alterations to two Philadelphia subway stations. Appellee Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) argues, and the District Court held, that DIA’s claims accrued prior to the completion of the alterations when DIA discovered that the planned alterations would not include elevators.

I.

We view the facts and draw all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to DIA, the party against whom summary judgment was entered. Feesers, Inc. v. Michael Foods, Inc., 498 F.3d 206, 208 (3d Cir.2007) (citing Andreoli v. Gates, 482 F.3d 641, 644 (3d Cir.2007)).

DIA is a nonprofit corporation that seeks to eliminate discrimination against disabled individuals in all aspects of community life. To achieve this goal, DIA employs a variety of methods including: government monitoring, political activism, *202 direct involvement in municipal planning, and, as a last resort, litigation. Many of DIA’s approximately 450 members use wheelchairs and rely on SEPTA for their public transportation needs.

SEPTA is an agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for providing public transportation in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, SEPTA’s City Transit Division operates a vast network of subway and subway-elevated rapid rails, regional rails, light rails, trackless trolleys, and buses that provide over 850,000 passenger trips per day. SEPTA receives federal funding for many of its activities, including its recent remodeling of an entrance to the 15th Street Station.

A. 15th Street Station and Courtyard

The bustling 15th Street Station is located underground near 15th and Market Streets in downtown Philadelphia. Passengers can access the station in two ways. First, using the stairway at the southwest side of 15th and Market Streets, passengers can descend directly to the platform for the Market-Frankford subway line. Second, using the stairway or escalator at the northwest side of the same block, passengers can descend to the “15th Street Courtyard.” From there, they can turn northward toward the Suburban Regional Rail Line Station (Suburban Station), or southward, toward the Market-Frankford platform. SEPTA’s renovations to this latter entrance gave rise to the present dispute. 1

Prior to SEPTA’s renovations, the 15th Street Courtyard included a set of stairs and two escalators enclosed within a head-house. On September 27, 1999, SEPTA received a $700,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration of the United States Department of Commerce for a project entitled “Renovation of 15th and Market Streets Headhouse at Suburban Station.” According to the grant, the project was to involve “various renovations to the 15th and Market Streets entrances and related areas” including “renovation of entrances to the underground train station concourse; demolition of existing facilities; the construction/installation of new stairs, landscaping, lighting, signage, finishes, canopies; and all appurtenances.”

In accepting the Commerce Department funding, SEPTA agreed to “pursue diligently the development of the Project so as to ensure completion ... within [the] time schedule.” Specifically, the grant required SEPTA to begin construction within 18 months of its receipt of the funds and to limit the total construction period to 29 months. In addition, the grant was to expire “five (5) years from the fiscal year of the Grant Award,” requiring that the project be “physically and financially completed by September 30, 2004.”

Having secured funding, SEPTA applied to the City of Philadelphia for a variance from certain provisions of the Building *203 Code. Among the provisions from which SEPTA sought a variance was Section fill 10.2.2(9), which requires that “[w]here building entrances are altered, or when plans are presented to relocate and provide a new primary entrance, the entrance shall be made accessible.” For obvious reasons, SEPTA’s variance application caught the attention of DIA’s legal counsel, Stephen F. Gold.

Fearful that SEPTA’s renovations would not include an elevator, Gold wrote to Edward McLaughlin, City Commissioner for the Department of Licenses and Inspections. In his letter of August 3, 2000, Gold expressed concern “that the City would allow SEPTA to apply for such a variance on its behalf for such a major public access point.” Gold insisted that “[i]n addition to ensuring that renovations ... are carried out in compliance with the Building Code, the City also has an obligation to ensure that such renovations are ... carried out in compliance with the [Americans With Disabilities Act].” He asked McLaughlin to keep him informed “as to how the City plans to proceed with [SEPTA’s] variance request.”

Gold received no response from McLaughlin and consequently discussed his concerns with Pete Winebrake, an attorney in the City Solicitor’s Office. Gold summarized the discussion in a letter dated September 28, 2000: “As I stated on the phone yesterday, this problem should be resolved before construction commences, or you leave me with very few options. I am very concerned that the City’s train has already left the station and I must act sooner than later [sic ]. I am available to meet with you at your earliest convenience.” (Emphasis in original.)

Gold heard nothing more from Wineb-rake, but received a letter dated November 14, 2000 from Assistant City Solicitor Fredrick K. Pasour regarding the “15th Street Courtyard Portion of the Suburban Station Project.” In pertinent part, Pas-our’s letter stated:

I represent the City of Philadelphia with respect to the above-referenced project. I understand that you believe that the ADA, its regulations and the Accessibility Guidelines require an elevator in the 15th Street courtyard. I also understand that you are considering bringing a lawsuit to enjoin the 15th Street courtyard portion of the project if the City issues a building permit based on plans that do not include an elevator in the 15th Street courtyard.

This letter is to advise you that the City doe [sic ] not share your view that an elevator is required in the 15th Street courtyard and has issued a building permit for the project. 2 Please remember that the 15th Street courtyard will be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. As you are aware, elevators are planned for other locations near the 15th Street courtyard.

The current bids for the portion of the project that includes the 15th Street courtyard renovations are only good through December 30, 2000. If, therefore, you plan to bring an action challenging the 15th Street courtyard portion of the project, please do so in an expeditious manner.

I understand that you had one meeting with representatives of the City and SEPTA at the 15th Street courtyard to discuss the project. I believe that another meeting this week may be useful in order to discuss the project in more detail and to determine if we can reach an agreement that is satisfactory to you, *204 the disabled community, the City and SEPTA.

App’x 477.

Despite Pasour’s letter, Gold did not immediately file a lawsuit, and the City issued SEPTA a building permit on or about February 14, 2001, describing the 15th Street Courtyard project as follows:

Demolition incorporates head house, stair, railings, limited wall, veneer, pavement, and lighting systems. Also to be removed are planters, fountain and ceilings. Construction scope consists of glass head house, stair, (2) retail spaces, railings, storefront sys., planters, lighting and paving installed, as well as new ceiling.

App’x 216. SEPTA commenced construction a few days later.

The record suggests several explanations for DIA’s decision not to file suit prior to this juncture. First, Gold testified that in 2000, he met with representatives of SEPTA and the City because “they were really anxious to get a commitment from [him] that there would not be a lawsuit regarding 15th Street.” See also App’x 477 (referring to a meeting between Gold and “representatives of the City and SEPTA” to determine if the parties could “reach an agreement”). According to Gold, Frances Egan, Assistant to SEPTA’s General Manager for Government and Public Affairs, and Deborah Russo, a representative of the City, assured him that in lieu of an elevator at 15th Street, SEPTA “would put in the elevator at City Hall and begin construction in '02 with the completion date of '04.” 3 See also App’x 477 (noting that “elevators are planned for other locations near the 15th Street courtyard”).

Gold discussed the proposed compromise with DIA, and DIA agreed that it was acceptable. Gold informed Egan of his client’s assent, but neither party memorialized the deal. 4 Assuaged nonetheless, 5 DIA took no further action until late 2002 when it appeared that SEPTA was not installing an elevator at City Hall. 6

Gold’s explanation for DIA’s decision not to file a pre-construction lawsuit is sup *205 ported by a Settlement Agreement in which DIA voluntarily dismissed its claims against the City, and the City affirmed that it “only granted permits for [the 15th Street Courtyard] renovation because [it] believed SEPTA had agreed to construct elevators in the City Hall Courtyard in lieu of the required elevator at 15th and Market.”

Alternatively, the record suggests that at some point, DIA’s strategy shifted from obtaining a pre-construction injunction to pursuing post-construction remedies based on Gold’s belief that even though “[SEPTA] had started construction or even completed [construction],” the ADA enabled DIA to force SEPTA to install an elevator. Gold admitted that he gave Pasour’s admonition to file suit in an expeditious manner “[v]ery, very, very much consideration” but determined that he could “optimize representing [DIA][by] letting [SEPTA] move the stairs and begin[ ] the construction because [DIA] could always get the elevator and make [SEPTA] put it [in] if necessary along 15th Street.” For reasons that are not clear from the record, Gold concluded that if construction did not proceed, “there would be no elevator.” Accordingly, he “decided ... to let [SEPTA and the City] sit in their own petard [sic ].” 7

Whatever the reasons for waiting, DIA filed its initial Complaint on March 14, 2003, approximately eight months after the newly renovated 15th Street Courtyard entrance was opened on August 8, 2002 without an elevator. DIA requested “permanent injunctive relief to enjoin [SEPTA] to begin construction immediately of a[n] elevator at the 15th and Market Street entrance ... to assure access for persons with disabilities.”

B. City Hall Station and Courtyard

The second subject of the present dispute is SEPTA’s replacement of an escalator that carried passengers from the concourse above the City Hall Station platform to City Hall Courtyard. 8 Located near the 15th Street Station, City Hall Station is one of the busiest stops on the Broad Street subway line and serves as a transfer point between the Broad Street Line, the Markeb-Frankford Line, and Regional Rail Lines. For instance, from the concourse below City Hall Courtyard, passengers can access the 11th and 13th Street Markeb-Frankford Line platforms without using stairs.

*206 The City Hall Courtyard project was part of SEPTA’s Escalator Replacement Program, launched in 1999 to improve the safety of escalators throughout the system. SEPTA included funding for the program in its FY 2001 Capital Budget after holding a public meeting to discuss the improvements on May 22, 2000. Although no representative of DIA attended the meeting, DIA’s Executive Director testified that DIA reviews SEPTA’s Capital Budget each year and was aware of the project.

By August 17, 2001, SEPTA had barricaded the area around the City Hall Courtyard escalator and posted signs that read “Project of the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Assistance Fund; Escalator Replacement at Erie, Spring Garden, City Hall & 30th Street Stations; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.” SEPTA removed the existing escalator, extended the wellway and relocated the truss upon which it sat, and installed a new escalator. Construction was completed and the escalator was opened to the public on or about August 24, 2003. The finished project did not include an elevator. On February 15, 2005, DIA filed its Fourth Amended Complaint, adding allegations regarding this project.

C. The District Court Proceedings

DIA filed its initial Complaint on March 14, 2003, alleging that SEPTA’s renovations to the 15th Street Station entrance violated the ADA and the RA. The District Court dismissed the complaint because DIA failed to name the City of Philadelphia, the owner of the real property upon which the entrance is located, as a defendant. After the Court granted DIA relief from the dismissal, DIA added the City as a defendant in its First Amended Complaint. On October 10, 2003, DIA filed a Second Amended Complaint, which included allegations about a deal between DIA, SEPTA, and the City to install an elevator at the City Hall Courtyard instead of the 15th Street Courtyard.

After an unsuccessful settlement attempt, DIA filed a Third Amended Complaint, adding an ADA “key station” claim. See 42 U.S.C. § 12147(b); 29 C.F.R. § 37.47. SEPTA moved to dismiss the key station claim and argued that portions of the Third Amended Complaint should be stricken pursuant to a stipulation between DIA and SEPTA. The District Court refused to dismiss the key station claim, but DIA agreed to strike its allegations that SEPTA had agreed to install an elevator at City Hall in lieu of 15th Street.

On August 16, 2004, DIA reached a settlement agreement with the City. Therein, the City stipulated that “[i]t is the City’s legal opinion that SEPTA is legally obligated under the ADA and accompanying Regulations to construct an elevator at the 15th and Market Street Courtyard entrance, which SEPTA renovated.” Moreover, the City asserted that it “only granted permits for [the 15th Street] renovation because [it] believed SEPTA had agreed to construct elevators in the City Hall Courtyard.” Based on this agreement, the District Court dismissed the City from the case.

On February 15, 2005, DIA filed a Fourth Amended Complaint in which it added a second claim under § 12147(a) based on SEPTA’s renovations to the City Hall Courtyard. DIA alleged that SEPTA’s renovations to both the 15th Street and City Hall Courtyards constituted “alterations” that triggered ADA and RA accessibility obligations. 9 42 U.S.C. *207 § 12147(a); 29 U.S.C. § 794(a). DIA also alleged that both 15th Street and City Hall are “key stations” that SEPTA must make accessible. 42 U.S.C. § 12147(b); 29 U.S.C. § 794(a). DIA requested, inter alia, an injunction compelling SEPTA to construct elevators at both locations. After completing discovery, the parties filed cross motions for summary judgment.

The District Court granted SEPTA’s motion for summary judgment on all counts. As to DIA’s § 12147(a) claims, the court reasoned that “[t]o determine the accrual date of a discrimination claim, a court must focus on when the discriminatory act occurred, not when the effect of that act became painful.” DIA, 2006 WL 3392733, at *14 (citing Chardon v. Fernandez, 454 U.S. 6, 8, 102 S.Ct. 28, 70 L.Ed.2d 6 (1981)). The District Court rejected DIA’s argument that SEPTA’s discriminatory acts occurred “upon completion of [the] alterations” to the 15th Street and City Hall Courtyards. Id. at *13 (citing 42 U.S.C. § 12147(a)). Rather, the District Court held that the claims accrued when DIA knew, or had reason to know, that SEPTA’s renovations would not include elevators. According to the District Court, DIA had such knowledge regarding the 15th Street Courtyard “no later than November 1, 2000, when DIA was informed that SEPTA would proceed with the planned construction at the 15th and Market Street Courtyard without installing an elevator,” id. at * 14, and regarding the City Hall Courtyard, “at least as early as August 17, 2001,” when a sign was posted “in the City Hall Courtyard on the outside of the boarded-off construction area where the escalator was being replaced.” Id. at *17. Because DIA filed its § 12147(a) claims more than two years after these dates, the District Court dismissed them as barred by the statute of limitations, id., and DIA appealed. 10

II.

DIA’s claims arise under Section 227 of the ADA, 42 U.S.C. § 12147(a), and Section 504 of the RA, 29 U.S.C. § 794(a). 11 The District Court had jurisdiction over these claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1343. We review the District Court’s final order granting summary judgment to SEPTA pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291.

Our review is plenary, and we apply the same standard as the District Court. Michael Foods, 498 F.3d at 212. We will affirm the grant of summary judgment if “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact” and that SEPTA is “entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R.CivP. 56(c). In making this determination, we “view the facts in the light most *208 favorable” to DIA and “draw all inferences” in DIA’s favor. Michael Foods, 498 F.3d at 212 (quoting Farrell v. Planters Lifesavers Co., 206 F.3d 271, 278 (3d Cir.2000)).

In 1973, Congress passed the Rehabilitation Act to assure that no individual with a disability “shall ... be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” 29 U.S.C. § 794(a). Seventeen years later, Congress extended this mandate to cover all public transportation providers in Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act. See 42 U.S.C. §§ 12132 and 12131(1). Title II begins with a general prohibition of disability-based discrimination, § 12132, followed by seven provisions that define what “shall be considered discrimination” for purposes of the statute. 42 U.S.C. §§ 12142, 12143, 12144, 12146, 12147, 12148, and 12162. In this case, we address an important question of first impression regarding one of these provisions: when does a claim under § 12147(a) accrue?

III.

Neither Title II of the ADA nor Section 504 of the RA includes an express statute of limitations. As both statutes were enacted prior to the effective date of the default four-year statute of limitations for federal statutes, see 28 U.S.C. § 1658, we borrow the statute of limitations of the most analogous state law cause of action. North Star Steel Co. v. Thomas, 515 U.S. 29, 33-34, 115 S.Ct. 1927, 132 L.Ed.2d 27 (1995); Wilson v. Garcia, 471 U.S. 261, 266-67, 105 S.Ct. 1938, 85 L.Ed.2d 254 (1985). The District Court concluded, and the parties do not dispute, that Pennsylvania’s two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims should apply to claims under § 12147(a).

This conclusion is consistent with our precedent regarding the statute of limitations for federal civil rights claims. See, e.g., Lake v. Arnold, 232 F.3d 360, 368 (3d Cir.2000); Kost v. Kozakiewicz, 1 F.3d 176, 190 (3d Cir.1993); Bougher v. Univ. of Pittsburgh, 882 F.2d 74, 78 (3d Cir.1989). It is also consistent with the majority of Courts of Appeals that have decided the question. See Gaona v. Town & Country Credit, 324 F.3d 1050, 1055 (8th Cir.2003) (noting that “most Courts of Appeal[s] ... have applied the state statute of limitations for personal injury actions to claims under the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA”); Everett v. Cobb County Sch. Dist., 138 F.3d 1407, 1409-10 (11th Cir.1998); Soignier v. Am. Bd. of Plastic Surgery, 92 F.3d 547, 551 (7th Cir.1996); Baker v. Bd. of Regents, 991 F.2d 628, 632 (10th Cir.1993); Morse v. Univ. of Vermont, 973 F.2d 122, 127 (2d Cir.1992); Hickey v. Irving Indep. Sch. Dist., 976 F.2d 980, 983 (5th Cir.1992); cf. Wolsky v. Med. Coll, of Hampton Rds., I F.3d 222, 223-25 (4th Cir.1993).

Accordingly, we hold that the statute of limitations applicable to claims under Title II of the ADA and Section 504 of the RA is the statute of limitations for personal injury actions in the state in which the trial court sits. In this case, the applicable statute is 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5524, which prescribes a two-year statute of limitations.

IV.

The more difficult question — and the crux of the dispute between DIA and SEPTA — is when this two year statute of limitations begins to run. In answering this question, we note that “[t]he ADA is a remedial statute, designed to eliminate discrimination against the disabled in all facets of society,” and as such, “it must be broadly construed to effectuate its purposes.” Kinney v. Yerusalim, 812 F.Supp. 547, 551 (E.D.Pa.1993) (citing Tcherepnin v. Knight, 389 U.S. 332, 335, 88 S.Ct. 548, *209 19 L.Ed.2d 564 (1967)), aff'd, 9 F.3d 1067 (3d Cir.1993).

A.

Ordinarily, a statute of limitations begins to run from the moment the potential plaintiff has a “complete and present cause of action.” Bay Area Laundry & Dry Cleaning Pension Trust Fund v. Ferbar Corp., 522 U.S. 192, 195, 118 S.Ct. 542, 139 L.Ed.2d 553 (1997) (quoting Rawlings v. Ray, 312 U.S. 96, 98, 61 S.Ct. 473, 85 L.Ed. 605 (1941)); Arnold, 232 F.3d at 366 (quoting Ross v. Johns-Manville Corp., 766 F.2d 823, 826 (3d Cir.1985)) (limitations period begins to run “from the time the cause of action accrue[s]”). For federal causes of action, the accrual date is a matter of federal law. Romero v. Allstate Corp., 404 F.3d 212, 221 (3d Cir. 2005).

Where Congress has specified an accrual date by “explicit command” or “by implication from the structure and text of the statute,” we defer to its directive. TRW Inc. v. Andrews, 534 U.S. 19, 27-28, 122 S.Ct. 441, 151 L.Ed.2d 339 (2001); see Romero, 404 F.3d at 222. “[I]n the absence of a contrary directive from Congress,” we apply the “federal discovery rule,” which dictates that a federal cause of action accrues “when the plaintiff discovers, or with due diligence should have discovered, the injury that forms the basis for the claim.” Romero, 404 F.3d at 222 (internal quotation and citations omitted). 12

We agree with the parties that Congress did not “explicitly command” an accrual date for § 12147(a) claims as it has done for other civil rights actions. Cf. 42 U.S.C.2000e-5(e)(l) (“A charge under this section shall be filed within one hundred and eighty days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred .... ”); id. § 3613 (“An aggrieved person may commence a civil action ... not later than 2 years after the occurrence or the termination of an alleged discriminatory housing practice....”). Nevertheless, for the reasons that follow, we hold that the “structure and text of the statute,” Andrews, 534 U.S. at 28, 122 S.Ct. 441, evince Congress’s intention that claims under § 12147(a) accrue “upon the completion of ... alterations” to public transportation facilities.

1.

The portion of § 12147(a) at issue in this appeal provides:

With respect to alterations of an existing facility or part thereof used in the provision of designated public transportation services that affect or could affect the usability of the facility or part thereof, it shall be considered discrimination, for purposes of section 12132 of this title and section 794 of Title 29, for a public entity to fail to make such alterations (or to ensure that the alterations are made) in such a manner that, to the maximum extent feasible, the altered portions of the facility are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs, upon the completion of such alterations.

As the District Court correctly observed, the dispute between DIA and SEPTA “emanates from the difference in how the parties interpret” this provision “as to when the alleged discrimination occurs.” DIA 2006 WL 3392733, at *11. Like the parties and the District Court, we believe § 12147(a)’s concluding phrase— *210 “upon the completion of such alterations” — is of fundamental importance in answering this question.

DIA argues that the phrase modifies the entire definition of what “shall be considered discrimination” because “only when ... alterations are completed and the inaccessible facility is re-opened will people with mobility disabilities be subject to discrimination.” Therefore, DIA concludes, claims under § 12147(a) do not accrue until alterations are completed.

SEPTA invokes the rule of the last antecedent, arguing that the “upon the completion” phrase only modifies the phrase “the altered portions of the facility are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities” and not “the entire definition of what constitutes discrimination.” 13 Under this interpretation, which the District Court adopted, the function of the “upon the completion” phrase is “merely [to] suggest that accessibility for disabled individuals must be in place at the time the alterations are completed.” DIA, 2006 WL 3392733, at *13. In other words, the phrase merely acknowledges that while renovations are in progress, facilities will necessarily be inaccessible to everyone, including “individuals with disabilities,” and that this temporary inaccessibility is not what § 12147(a) prohibits.

Our evaluation of these conflicting interpretations is guided by familiar rules of statutory construction. Our primary concern is to give effect to Congress’s intent. Rosenberg v. XM Ventures, 274 F.3d 137, 141 (3d Cir.2001). We assume that “Congress expresses its intent through the ordinary meaning of its language” and therefore begin “with an examination of the plain language of the statute.” Id. If the language is unambiguous, our inquiry is at an end. Id.

A statutory provision is not ambiguous simply because “by itself, [it is] susceptible to differing constructions” because in addition to the “statutory language ... itself,” we take account of “the specific context in which that language is used, and the broader context of the statute as a whole.” In re Price, 370 F.3d 362, 369 (3d Cir.2004). We assume, for example, that every word in a statute has meaning and avoid interpreting one part of a statute in a manner that renders another part superfluous. Rosenberg, 274 F.3d at 141-42. We also consider he overall “object and policy” of the statute, United States v. Schneider, 14 F.3d 876, 879 (3d Cir.1994), and avoid constructions that produce “odd” or “absurd results” or that are “inconsistent with common sense.” See Public Citizen v. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 491 U.S. 440, 454, 109 S.Ct. 2558, 105 L.Ed.2d 377 (1989) (internal quotations omitted); 2A N. Singer, SutheRland Statutes AND STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION § 45:12, at 92 (6th ed.2000) (hereinafter Sutherland).

Applying these principles to § 12147(a), we find DIA’s interpretation of the “upon the completion” phrase more persuasive. The language appears in the “specific context” of a single sentence that defines activities that “shall be considered discrimination”; and in the “broader context” of Title II, which assures that no “individual *211 with a disability” is “subjected to discrimination.” 42 U.S.C. §§ 12147(a) and 12132. “Discrimination,” as it is ordinarily defined, is the denial of “privileges to a certain class because of race, age, sex, nationality, religion, or handicap.” Black’s Law DiCtionaey 500 (8th ed.2004). The privileges at stake in § 12147(a) are access to, and use of, public transportation facilities. It is difficult to understand how these privileges are denied to individuals with disabilities by the mere promulgation or approval of renovation plans that do not include accessibility features. Instead, as Congress recognized, it is only when renovations are completed that individuals with disabilities will be excluded from accessing and using such facilities while others will not. This is the time at which disabled individuals are subjected to the disparate treatment that § 12147(a) was enacted to prevent.

SEPTA’s argument that the “upon the completion” language merely clarifies that § 12147(a) imposes no duty upon public entities to ensure accessibility while transportation facilities are under construction is specious. We are confident that Congress would not have felt compelled to make such an obvious clarification. See Public Citizen, 491 U.S. at 454, 109 S.Ct. 2558. Faced with a choice between SEPTA’s interpretation, which essentially renders the phrase surplusage, and DIA’s interpretation, which gives it substantial effect, we choose the latter. See Silverman v. Eastrich Multiple Investor Fund, L.P., 51 F.3d 28, 31 (3d Cir. 1995) (A statute “should be construed so that effect is given to all its provisions, so that no part will be inoperative or superfluous, void or insignificant.”); Sutherland § 45:12, at 94 (“[A] construction that renders a portion of the statute meaningless should not be reached by the court unless that construction is unavoidable.”); SUTHERLAND § 46:06, at 190-92 (“No clause[,] sentence!,] or word shall be construed as superfluous, void or insignificant if the construction can be found which will give force to ... all the words of the statute.”).

We thus interpret the “upon the completion” clause as modifying the statutory definition of discrimination such that claims under § 12147(a) arise “upon the completion” of inaccessible “alterations.”

2.

Our interpretation of this seminal clause in dispute on appeal is bolstered by the remainder of the statute. In fact, even if the “upon the completion” clause was absent from the statute, we would conclude that a claim under § 12147(a) does not accrue until alterations are completed.

As the District Court stated, “[t]o determine the accrual date of a discrimination claim, a court must focus on when the discriminatory act occurred.” DIA, 2006 WL 3392733, at * 14 (citing Chardon, 454 U.S. at 8, 102 S.Ct. 28). Section 12147(a) defines two closely related discriminatory acts: the failure (1) “to make” alterations, and (2) the failure “to ensure that ... alterations are made,” in such a manner that the altered portions of transportation facilities are accessible and usable.

Regarding the first act, we agree with the amicus curiae submission of the U.S. Department of Justice that as a matter of logic, there can be no “fail[ure] to make” the “altered portions” of a facility accessible until the alterations are completed. The relevant act is “to make” — “to cause (something) to exist.” BlaCK’s Law Dictionary 975 (8th ed.2004). Merely funding, designing, approving, or even commencing construction of alterations that will not provide accessibility does not “cause” such alterations “to exist,” especially in light of the notoriously contingent nature of con *212 struction plans. See, e.g., DIA v. Sykes, 833 F.2d 1113, 1115 (3d Cir.1987) (subway station renovation planned and funded in 1979 but modified in 1981 to exclude elevator). Therefore, an individual cannot suffer discrimination under this portion of the statute until the alterations are completed.

Unlike the first discriminatory act, the second act can logically occur before, during, or after construction. For example, a public entity arguably fails “to ensure that ... alterations are made” when it fails to insist that construction drawings include certain features. 14 Although rational in vacuo, this reading is unfaithful to the structure of the statute. Price, 370 F.3d at 369. The phrase “or to ensure that the alterations are made” appears in parentheses immediately following the phrase “to fail to make such alterations,” indicating that the meaning of the former phrase is related to, or dependent upon, the latter. See Peters v. Ashcroft, 383 F.3d 302, 309 (5th Cir.2004) (noting that parentheses “reduce[ ] the grammatical import” of the language contained therein); see generally Pritchard v. Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co., 350 F.2d 479, 483 (3d Cir.1965) (noting that punctuation can be a relevant factor in statutory interpretation); SutherlaND § 47:15, 261 (favoring rule that treats punctuation as a relevant factor in statutory construction). Furthermore, both phrases center around a form of the verb “to make,” an additional indication that they are, in DIA’s words, “two sides of the same coin.” See Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. v. Dabit,