Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practices (Workshop Edition 2010) (2011)

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Chapter: Chapter 1 - Introduction to Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Definition and Current Guidance

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1 - Introduction to Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Definition and Current Guidance ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practices (Workshop Edition 2010). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22902.

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Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practice 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Defi nition and Current Guidance CHAPTER SUMMARY Th is chapter provides a deï¬ nition of accessible pedestrian signals and an overview of their use. Th is chapter also includes an overview of standards development in the U.S. and current guidance. CHAPTER CONTENTS Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) 2 History of APS in the U.S. 4 U.S. Legislation, Standards, and Guidance Applicable to APS 8 ADDITIONAL REFERENCES Appendix A includes the portions of the following references pertaining to APS. Manual on Uniform Traï¬ c Control Devices (MUTCD) Draft Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (Draft PROWAG)

2 Chapter 1: Introduction to Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Defi nition and Current Guidance Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) WHAT IS AN APS? Accessible Pedestrian Signal â a device that communicates information about pedestrian timing in nonvisual format such as audible tones, verbal messages, and/or vibrating surfaces (MUTCD, Section 4A.02). Accessible Pedestrian Signal â A device that communicates information about the WALK phase in audible and vibrotactile formats (Draft PROWAG, R105.5). Note that the Draft PROWAG deï¬ nition states that an APS provides information in both audible and vibrotactile formats, while the MUTCD says audible âand/orâ vibrating surfaces. OTHER TERMS APS are known by diï¬ erent names in diï¬ erent countries: â¢ Acoustic signals â¢ Audio-tactile signals â¢ Audible pedestrian signals â¢ Audible traï¬ c signals â¢ Audible pedestrian traï¬ c signals â¢ Audible crossing indicators MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF APS APS can provide information to pedestrians about: â¢ Existence of and location of the pushbutton â¢ Beginning of the WALK interval Figure 1-1. Examples of pushbutton-integrated APS from various manufacturers

Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practice 3 â¢ Direction of the crosswalk and location of the destination curb â¢ Intersection street names in Braille, raised print, or through speech messages â¢ Intersection signalization with a speech message â¢ Intersection geometry through tactile maps and diagrams, or through speech messages BENEFITS OF APS Research has found that APS improved crossing performance by blind pedestrians. â¢ More accurate judgments of the onset of the WALK interval â¢ Reduction in crossings begun during DONT WALK â¢ Reduced delay â¢ Signiï¬ cantly more crossings completed before the signal changed Sighted pedestrians also begin crossing faster. See Appendix C for details of research. USE IN THE U.S. Although audible crossing indicators have been available for over 25 years, they have not been commonly installed in the United States. Th is is probably attributable to two factors: â¢ Disagreement among blind people on the need for, and eï¬ ectiveness, of audible pedestrian signals â¢ Noise pollution and consequent community opposition In the past ten years, changes in intersection design and signalization (see Chapter 3) have aï¬ ected the traditional street crossing techniques used by blind pedestrians, making the pedestrian phase harder to recognize without seeing the visual pedestrian signal. In addition, it has become essential to cross during the pedestrian phase at many intersections. Th ese changes have lead to more requests for APS and advocacy for their installation in recent years. In addition, developments in technology have occurred. New types of APS have become available in the United States that provide more information and have addressed some of the previous noise concerns. USE IN OTHER COUNTRIES In Japan, Australia, and some European countries, APS have been routinely installed at many intersections for at least 20 years. Information about policies in these countries is included in Chapter 10, International Practice.

4 Chapter 1: Introduction to Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Defi nition and Current Guidance History of APS in the U.S. APS BUT NO REGULATIONS Although there are reports of audible pedestrian signals in the U.S. as early as 1920, they were not included in U.S. standards and regulations until MUTCD 2000. â¢ Common devices were bells or buzzers designed by engineers in response to a request from individuals who were blind. â¢ Earliest reported installations were near schools for the blind. APS FIRST MASS MARKETED Mid 1970âs â¢ Cuckoo/cheep signals mounted on the pedestrian signal heads (pedhead- mounted APS), based on a Japanese system, were marketed in the U.S. Th ese signals emitted sound from an overhead speaker only during the WALK interval and were typically aimed toward the opposite end of the crosswalk. â¢ Other types of devices developed in Europe and Australia (see Chapter 10, International Practice, Sweden and Australia) were not marketed in the U.S. CONTROVERSY OVER THEIR USE For early installations, there were complaints about noise of the signals from residents living near installations. In addition, there was disagreement about the need for APS between two main consumer groups of blind people, American Council of the Blind and National Federation of the Blind. Until the early 1990âs: â¢ American Council of the Blind (ACB) supported use of APS to provide additional information at all intersections. â¢ National Federation of the Blind (NFB) opposed all use of APS. While each of these consumer groups have a membership of approximately 25,000 people which combined represents less than 1% of people who are blind or who have low vision in the U.S., this disagreement was often very confusing to community oï¬ cials. While the NFB has now stated that APS should be used in some situations, they are still opposed to âwholesaleâ installation at every intersection. PROBLEMS WITH PEDHEAD-MOUNTED APS See Appendix C for detailed information on research results. Pedhead-mounted APS provide limited information. Figure 1-2. Pedhead- mounted APS; APS speaker mounted on top of pedestrian signal head

Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practice 5 â¢ Two-sound system (cuckoo/cheep) does not provide unambiguous indication of WALK. Requires blind pedestrians to know their direction of travel at all times. â¢ Th ey only provide sound during the WALK interval. While the signal sound is loud and intended to provide directional guidance across the street, the short duration of the WALK interval at most locations means that the sound ends before pedestrians complete their crossings. â¢ No information is supplied about the presence or location of the pushbutton. NEWER TYPES OF APS AVAILABLE â PUSHBUTTON-INTEGRATED In the mid-1990âs, APS that were integrated into the pushbutton, based on the European and Australian systems, began to be available in the U.S. Th ese APS provide audible indications from the pushbutton at a generally quiet volume, intended to be heard 6 to 12 feet from the pushbutton. Additional features include: â¢ Vibrotactile WALK indication, in addition to audible WALK indications â¢ Pushbutton locator tone which repeats constantly at once per second to provide information about the presence and location of a pushbutton â¢ Tactile arrow that points in the direction of travel on the crosswalk â¢ Automatic volume adjustment, so the APS responds to ambient sound and provides louder indications when the traï¬ c is louder and quieter signals at times when traï¬ c is quiet PROPER LOCATION IS ESSENTIAL Th e functioning of pushbutton-integrated APS is based on proximity to the crosswalk location. Th e closer the APS is located to the departure location, the quieter it can be. In addition, the vibrotactile indication and tactile arrow are not usable when located too far back from the street. Figure 1-4 illustrates installation recommendations. Figure 1-3. Pushbutton- integrated APS

6 Chapter 1: Introduction to Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Defi nition and Current Guidance CHANGES IN INTERSECTION DESIGN, TRAFFIC AND SIGNALIZATION Changes in intersection design, traï¬ c, and signalization have aï¬ ected the ability of pedestrians who are blind to cross streets using traï¬ c sounds, as discussed in detail in Chapter 2. APS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. APS provide an auditory (tone or speech) indication of the WALK interval. Vibrotactile indication of the WALK interval is required by the Draft PROWAG, but not all APS devices are capable of providing vibrotactile indications. Numerous other features are available and detailed descriptions of the various features can be found in Chapter 4. In the previous version of this document (Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Synthesis and Guide to Best Practice), APS were described as one of four design types: pedhead-mounted, pushbutton-integrated, vibration-only, and receiver-based. Th ese device design types were mainly categorized by the location and type of WALK indication provided, although there were characteristic diï¬ erences in other features at that time. As technology has developed, several combinations of these diï¬ erent types have emerged, and modiï¬ cations have been made that prevent easy separation of devices into four âtypesâ. Th e discussion of APS and their features using those terms becomes confusing. Th is Guide, Draft PROWAG, and the MUTCD all recommend APS that have audible and vibrotactile WALK indications, which are only available Figure 1-4. Ideal Installation â Within 5 feet of the crosswalk extended, within 10 feet of the curb, and separated by more than 10 feet from other APS on the corner, adjacent to a level landing

Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practice 7 when APS are integrated into the pushbutton. However, other features, such as additional beaconing speakers, may also be provided. In this Guide, other than this chapter and Chapter 9, the labeling of types of APS has generally been dropped. Th ese types are described here for clariï¬ cation, as background information. Some manufacturers or distributors may continue to use these terms to describe available products. Pushbutton-integrated â¢ Common in Europe and Australia and rapidly becoming common in the U.S. â¢ Speaker and vibrating surface located at the pushbutton â¢ A regularly repeating quiet locator tone provides information about the presence of the pushbutton and its location,(during the ï¬ ashing and steady DONT WALK intervals). â¢ Pushbutton locator tone and WALK indication volumes respond to ambient sound â¢ Volume is typically adjusted to be heard only at the beginning of crosswalk â¢ May provide other information about the name of streets or the geometry of the intersection, or signalization Pedhead-mounted â¢ Most common type installed between 1960 and 2000 in the U.S. â¢ Speaker mounted on top of the pedestrian signal head (pedhead) â¢ Bell, buzzer, cuckoo, cheep, tone, or verbal message during the WALK interval only â¢ Usually intended to be heard across the street and act as a beacon, thus are relatively loud Receiver-based â¢ Message transmitted by infrared or LED technology from the pedestrian signal to a personal receiver held by the individual â¢ Blind pedestrians must have and use the appropriate receiver for the technology installed â¢ May provide other information about the name of streets, geometry of the intersection, direction of travel, and address information Vibrotactile-only â¢ Arrow on the pushbutton housing or the pushbutton itself vibrates during the WALK interval â¢ Vibrotactile-only devices are no longer available in the U.S., and do not conform to Draft PROWAG

8 Chapter 1: Introduction to Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Defi nition and Current Guidance U.S. Legislation, Standards, and Guidance Applicable to APS TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Th e Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) stated that pedestrian safety considerations should be included in new transportation plans and projects. â¢ Section 1202 (g)(2) directed that they ââ¦shall include the installation, where appropriate, and maintenance of audible traï¬ c signals and audible signs at street crossings.â â¢ Required that FHWA develop guidance on pedestrian and bicycle facility design. A Policy Statement on Accommodating Bicyclists and Pedestrians in Transportation Projects was written, which includes the following statement: âSidewalks, shared use paths, street crossings (including over- and undercrossings), pedestrian signals, signs, street furniture, transit stops and facilities, and all connecting pathways shall be designed, constructed, operated and maintained so that all pedestrians, including people with disabilities, can travel safely and independentlyâ. (TEA-21, 1998) MUTCD Th e MUTCD (2003) includes two sections on Accessible Pedestrian Signals, Part 4E.06, Accessible Pedestrian Signals, and Part 4E.09, Accessible Pedestrian Signal Detectors. In addition, 4D.03, Provisions for Pedestrians, addresses the need for accessible pedestrian signals in the following standards and guidance: âStandard: Th e design and operation of traï¬ c control signals shall take into consideration the needs of pedestrian as well as vehicular traï¬ c. If engineering judgment indicates the need for provisions for a given pedestrian movement, signal faces conveniently visible to pedestrians shall be provided by pedestrian signal heads or a signal face for an adjacent vehicular movement. Guidance: Safety considerations should include the installation, where appropriate, of accessible pedestrian signals (see Sections 4E.06 and 4E.09) that provide information in nonvisual format (such as audible tones, verbal messages, and/or vibrating surfaces).â (MUTCD, 2003) MUTCD Sections on APS Section 4E.06 includes standards for APS use, guidance on installation of APS, and standards and guidance on WALK indications and features of APS.

Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practice 9 Section 4E.09 provides standards and guidelines that address features and locations of accessible pedestrian signal detectors (pushbuttons), pushbutton locator tones and volume of signals. MUTCD Revisions Th e Federal Highway Administration publishes the MUTCD, with revisions made on a regular basis. Major input to the MUTCD is provided by the National Committee on Uniform Traï¬ c Control Devices (NCUTCD), which meets twice a year to consider revisions. Changes to the MUTCD are published in the Federal Register as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPA); followed by a comment period, and other standard Federal rulemaking procedures. Th e next major revision of the MUTCD is expected to be completed in 2009. On January 2, 2008, Federal Highway Administration published an NPA for the MUTCD (pdf dated December 2007) and the comment period closed on July 31, 2008. Comments are being analyzed. A Final Rule for the next edition of the MUTCD is anticipated during 2009. Th e NPA contained major revisions to the MUTCD sections on APS. Where appropriate, those provisions are referenced in this document as Proposed MUTCD. Th e MUTCD is available at http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov Th e 2003 MUTCD sections on APS, and Proposed MUTCD sections are included in Appendix A. SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 Th e requirement for nondiscrimination on the basis of disability dates from well before TEA-21 or the Americans with Disabilities Act. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities receiving or beneï¬ ting from federal ï¬ nancial assistance. âNo qualiï¬ ed handicapped person shallâ¦be denied the beneï¬ ts ofâ¦any program or activity that receives or beneï¬ ts from Federal ï¬ nancial assistance administered by the DOT.â (Rehabilitation Act, 1973) Th e Act speciï¬ cally required the installation of curb ramps on federally funded projects. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990 Th e Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark law that protects the civil rights of persons with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government services, transportation, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and telecommunications. Th e ADA has ï¬ ve parts:

10 Chapter 1: Introduction to Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Defi nition and Current Guidance â¢ Title I â Employment â¢ Title II â Public Services - State and local government services â¢ Title III â Public Accommodations and services operated by private entities â public accommodations (businesses and non-proï¬ t agencies that serve the public) and commercial facilities (other businesses). â¢ Title IV â Telecommunications â telephone services â¢ Title V â Miscellaneous provisions Th e ADA applies to all programs and facilities of state and local government, regardless of funding source. Guidelines for implementation of each part of the ADA were developed by agencies charged with that responsibility. â¢ Th e U.S. Access Board (Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board) develops and maintains accessibility guidelines for buildings, facilities, and transit vehicles covered by titles II and III of the ADA. Th ese guidelines are known as the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). â¢ ADAAG serves as the basis of enforceable standards issued by the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Transportation (DOT) ADAAG AND PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY Implementing regulations of Title II of the ADA require state and local government programs and properties to be accessible to persons with disabilities. â¢ ADAAG provides minimum technical provisions for access. Th e guidelines implementing the ADA were published in 1991, and adopted as ï¬ nal rule (an enforceable standard) by the DOJ and DOT in 1992. â¢ Th e section on Public Rights-of-Way, Section 14, was not issued as a ï¬ nal rule at that time. ADA STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Th e development of accessibility standards is a long process with numerous opportunities for public input and comment. Th e development of public rights-of-way standards is under way, but probably will not be completed for several more years. â¢ Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory Committee (PROWAAC) was formed by the Access Board in 1999 to develop recommendations for public rights-of-way. â¢ Recommendations were provided in a report to the Access Board, completed in 2001, Building a True Community: Final ReportâPublic Rights-of Way Access Advisory Committee. Discussion and advisory notes in that document may be helpful in understanding some of the provisions in Draft PROWAG. â¢ Th e Access Board took the PROWAAC recommendations and developed Draft Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines. Draft PROWAG was published

Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practice 11 on June 17, 2002 for comment. A revised draft was published on November 23, 2005. Th e sections of the Draft PROWAG on APS are included in Appendix A. â¢ Th is draft will be followed by a Regulatory Analysis (RA) of the cost of implementing the rule and development of text, commentary, ï¬ gures, and preamble of guidelines. After approval of a rule by the Access Board, the RA and rule are reviewed by the Oï¬ ce of Management and Budget before release for publication. â¢ A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will be published in the Federal Register. After publication, comments will be solicited, and staï¬ and the Access Board will evaluate the public comments and propose any changes deemed necessary. After that, ï¬ nal guidelines will be approved and issued by the Access Board, and eventually be adopted as standards by DOJ and DOT â¢ Information on progress and the process is posted at www.access-board.gov under Public Rights-of-Way. DRAFT PROWAG SECTIONS ON APS Section R208 requires APS where pedestrian signals are installed Section R306 provides speciï¬ cations regarding WALK interval indications, location of devices, volume, pushbutton locator tones, pushbutton operation, size and contrast, signs and tactile arrows, and optional features. Further description and details can be found in Chapter 6. RESPONSIBILITY UNDER ADA IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS ADA implementing regulations require programs of state and local governments to be accessible. Barden v. Sacramento, a 2004 court decision, deï¬ ned sidewalks and street crossings as a program and facility of the state and local government, which must be accessible under Title II of the ADA. Th ere are several speciï¬ c sections of the ADA implementing regulations that require accessibility: â¢ Title II, Subpart D â Program Accessibility, 35.151 New construction and alterations states that: âEach facility â¦constructed by, on behalf of, or for the use of a public entity shall be designed and constructed in such manner that the facilityâ¦is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilitiesâ¦.â â¢ âReadily accessible to and usable byâ means: . that it can be approached, entered, and used by individuals with disabilities (including mobility, sensory, and cognitive impairments) easily and conveniently. â¦To the extent that a particular type or element of a facility is not speciï¬ cally addressed by the standards, [the above] languageâ¦is the safest guide. â¢ ADA Title II: State and Local Government Services, Subpart E â Communications, 35.160 General. âA public entity shall take appropriate steps to ensure that communications with.â¦members of the public with disabilities are as eï¬ ective as communications with others.â

12 Chapter 1: Introduction to Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Defi nition and Current Guidance Th e bottom line is that ADA requires newly constructed facilities to be accessible even if there are no speciï¬ c guidelines covering that type of facility. ADA compliance is a civil rights issue. DRAFT PROWAG AS BEST PRACTICES In a memo published January 26, 2006, the Federal Highway Administration states: âTh e Draft Guidelines are not standards until adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Th e present standards to be followed are the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) standards. However, the Draft Guidelines are the currently recommended best practices, and can be considered the state of the practice that could be followed for areas not fully addressed by the present ADAAG standards. Further, the Draft Guidelines are consistent with the ADAâs requirement that all new facilities (and altered facilities to the maximum extent feasible) be designed and constructed to be accessible to and useable by people with disabilities.â (Isler memo, 2006) Note: Th e âDraft Guidelinesâ to which the FHWA memo refers are referred to as âDraft PROWAGâ throughout this Guide.

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