[blindlaw] comments needed regarding policy for audiblepedestrian signals

[ckrugman at sbcglobal.net]

thanks.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Pepper" <b75205 at gmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] comments needed regarding policy for 
audiblepedestrian signals


> Well if you are in London they have a lot of experience with this type of
> thing.
>
> Well what they should be doing is placing the raised warnings actually 
> into
> the roads for the crosswalks but the law is specific in only providing a
> visual contrast, which is just painting lines into the road.  Here is the
> ADAAG link:
> http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm#4.29
>
> There is a man living near me whose dog is not that good and he has to 
> spend
> a long time figuring out if he can safely walk across the street.  His dog
> leads him diagonally across the street, it is a disaster!  He wants to be
> independent and refuses to talk about it, but his dog is not that good.
>
> Toronto and London have accessible traffic lights, they will have the data
> on this type of thing.
>
> James Pepper
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 7:21 AM, <ckrugman at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>> The City of Fresno is proposing the policy shown below to evaluate the
>> installation of audible traffic signals. As this is outside my expertise 
>> I
>> would appreciate any comments regarding this document. Please feel free 
>> to
>> contact me off list if needed.
>> Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal
>> 1237 P Street
>> Fresno ca 93721
>> 559-266-9237
>>
>>
>> APS Policy-03-09-LP .pdf
>> DRAFT ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS (APS)
>> INTERSECTION EVALUATION PROCEDURE
>> BACKGROUND
>> Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS), also known as audible pedestrian
>> signals, are devices
>> that communicate information about pedestrian timing in nonvisual format
>> such as audible
>> tones, verbal messages, and/or vibrating surfaces. APS are used in
>> conjunction with standard
>> pedestrian activated traffic signals to provide the following information
>> to pedestrians:
>> list of 4 items
>> 
>> Existence of and location of the pedestrian pushbutton
>> 
>> Beginning of the pedestrian WALK interval
>> 
>> Direction of the crosswalk and location of the destination curb
>> 
>> Clearance signal interval
>> list end
>> They are used to assist blind and visually impaired persons and other
>> persons with disabilities
>> of all ages to cross at designated streets and intersections.
>> PURPOSE
>> The purpose of this evaluation policy is to set forth factors to be used 
>> by
>> the City of Fresno’s
>> Public Works Department, in cooperation with the City of Fresno’s
>> Disability Advisory
>> Commission, in developing a priority listing of signalized intersection
>> candidates to be retrofitted
>> with audible devices that will provide guidance for the blind community 
>> and
>> visually impaired
>> persons and other persons with disabilities of all ages to cross certain
>> streets.
>> POLICY
>> It is the policy of the City Council that the retrofitting of existing
>> traffic signals with APS shall be
>> based on factors established herein and that such measurements and
>> computations as may be
>> required in determining priority rating of candidate locations shall be 
>> the
>> responsibility of the
>> Public Works Department.
>> It should be noted that in special situations, an APS should not be
>> installed because of the
>> adverse affect it could have on pedestrian safety as a result of the
>> overall traffic circulation
>> pattern of an area, or unusual geometric conditions where an APS would 
>> not
>> provide the safety
>> benefits necessary for the blind or visually impaired individuals to 
>> cross
>> a street. It should also
>> be noted that some traffic signals cannot be retrofitted with APS without
>> major costly
>> modifications. Retrofitting of traffic signals with APS shall be subject 
>> to
>> approval by the City
>> Engineer.
>> Important: APS are utilized to help blind and visually impaired travelers
>> recognize when a
>> WALK signal is operating in a given direction. An APS may enhance the
>> safety of blind
>> travelers in two ways:
>> list of 1 items
>> 1.
>> Lessens the chance of a blind or visually impaired pedestrian misjudging
>> when the walk
>> phase is operating, thereby lessening the chance of accidentally crossing
>> against a
>> signal.
>> list end
>> list of 1 items
>> 2.
>> Helps blind and visually impaired pedestrians recognize immediately when
>> the walk
>> phase begins, permitting them to cross the street in a timely fashion,
>> thereby lessening
>> the chance of being in the intersection when the signal changes.
>> list end
>> However, it is important to recognize that the APS does not and cannot
>> assure the blind and
>> visually impaired pedestrians that there will be no potential traffic
>> conflicts while crossing when
>> the APS is operating. In particular, the blind and visually impaired
>> pedestrians should be aware
>> of at least four possible conflicts.
>> list of 4 items
>> 1.
>> Vehicles may be still clearing the intersection when the APS comes on.
>> 2.
>> Vehicles may fail to stop for the red light. This is particularly common
>> for motorists
>> attempting to enter on a yellow light.
>> 3.
>> Motorists may stop and make a right turn on red while watching traffic on
>> their left but
>> may fail to notice pedestrians on their right.
>> 4.
>> Vehicles may have right and left turns on the same phase as the 
>> pedestrian.
>> list end
>> Because of these potential conflicts, it is important that the blind or
>> visually impaired traveler
>> exercise due caution for his or her well-being when crossing a street,
>> whether or not it is
>> equipped with APS. It is especially important that blind and visually
>> impaired travelers be
>> properly trained by certified orientation and mobility specialists in 
>> safe
>> travel techniques on the
>> public right-of-way.
>> EVALUATION PROCEDURE (See attached “Evaluation Form.”)
>> The following basic considerations and evaluation factors shall be 
>> utilized
>> to determine whether
>> a location is eligible to be a candidate for APS and to determine its
>> relative position on the
>> priority list. Evaluation and scoring of factors will be conducted by an
>> evaluation team consisting
>> of a certified orientation-mobility specialist, a visually impaired/blind
>> traveler and a traffic
>> engineer. Candidate locations shall be requested by the City of Fresno
>> Disability Advisory
>> Commission, its working groups, and constituent requests to the ADA
>> Coordinator’s office.
>> Candidate locations will be evaluated by means of the sample evaluation
>> sheet attached.
>> I. BASIC CONSIDERATIONS:
>> APS normally will be considered for installation only if the following
>> conditions are met:
>> list of 5 items
>> A.
>> Intersections must be signalized.
>> B.
>> Signals must be susceptible to retrofitting.
>> C.
>> Signals should be equipped with pedestrian signal actuations. (See also
>> section on
>> “Signals without Pedestrian Actuations.”)
>> D.
>> Location must be suitable to installation of audible signals, in terms of
>> surrounding land
>> use, noise level and neighborhood acceptance.
>> E.
>> There must be a demonstrated need for the audible signals in the form of 
>> a
>> request from
>> an individual or group that would use the audible signal.
>> list end
>> II EVALUATION FACTORS
>> The following factors shall be used to establish a priority listing for
>> potential audible traffic signal
>> candidates. Candidates will be arranged in priority order of those with 
>> the
>> highest total points
>> (100 points maximum) on top and then in descending order. The scoring of
>> factors will be
>> conducted by an evaluation team consistent of a mobility specialist, a
>> visually impaired/blind
>> traveler and a traffic engineer. If the request for an APS was made by a
>> deaf blind individual, or
>> by representative of an organization serving deaf blind pedestrians in
>> order to improve access in
>> their geographic area, the evaluation team may also include a deaf blind
>> rater. The decision
>> whether to include a deaf blind rater will be made by the City Engineer.
>> A) Intersection Safety
>> 1. Accident Records: Past pedestrian accident experience at the
>> intersection will
>> be used as an indication of potential safety performance. Points will be
>> based on
>> pedestrian accidents reported by the City of Fresno’s Police Department.
>>
>> table with 3 columns and 6 rows
>> Pedestrian Accidents
>> Period
>> Points
>> 1
>> 4 years
>> 1
>> 2
>> 4 years
>> 2
>> 3
>> 4 years
>> 3
>> 4
>> 4 years
>> 4
>> 5 or more
>> 4 years
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> 2. Intersection Configuration: The number of approaches to an 
>> intersection
>> and
>> their geometric configuration (offset, skewed, etc.) affect the ability 
>> of
>> the blind
>> and visually impaired persons crossing the roadway. In particular, 
>> traffic
>> at 3-leg
>> intersections tends not to provide adequate audible clues for the blind 
>> to
>> permit
>> them to effectively judge the signal phase.
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 6 rows
>> Configuration
>> Points
>> 4-leg right angle intersection
>> 1
>> 3-leg T-intersection
>> 2
>> 3 or 4-leg skewed intersection
>> 3
>> 4-leg offset intersection
>> 4
>> Other complex or multiple leg intersections
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> Note: Intersections with 5 or more legs will require special design.
>> 3. Intersection Signalization: Pre-timed intersections are the easiest 
>> for
>> blind
>> pedestrian because the phase interval is constant and can be observed 
>> over
>> time. Vehicle actuated intersections are more difficult, because the
>> pedestrian
>> interval may be of different lengths or skipped all together. 
>> Split-phasing
>> can
>> provide confusing auditory information, as a traveler may interpret
>> left-turning
>> vehicles as a parallel traffic surge.
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 5 rows
>> Signalization
>> Points
>> Pre-timed
>> 0
>> Vehicle Actuated
>> 2
>> Split Phasing
>> 4
>> Exclusive Ped Phase (for future reference)
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> 4.
>> Width of Crossing:
>> Wider streets are more difficult for blind travelers to cross. If
>> each leg of the intersection has a different width, points will be 
>> assigned
>> on the
>> basis of the widest street on which pedestrians are permitted to cross.
>> Crossing
>> width will be measured at the point pedestrians normally cross the 
>> street.
>> Islands
>> and medians will be included in the total crossing distance even if they
>> are
>> equipped with separate pedestrian signal actuators. These points will be
>> apportioned based upon the greatest width of the crossing at the subject
>> intersection.
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 7 rows
>> Width of Crossing
>> Points
>> 40 feet or less
>> 0
>> 40 to 59 feet
>> 1
>> 60 to 79 feet
>> 2
>> 80 to 99 feet
>> 3
>> 100 -119
>> 4
>> 120 feet or more
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> 5. Vehicle Speed: The speed of approaching traffic reflects the ability 
>> of
>> approaching traffic to stop for a pedestrian clearing the intersection as
>> the lights
>> change. Audible signals help blind pedestrians get a timely start at the
>> beginning
>> of the walk phase, thereby permitting clearing the intersection in a 
>> timely
>> manner.
>> Points are assigned on the basis of the 85 percentile speed on the 
>> fastest
>> approach leg. More points are assigned on the basis of higher speeds.
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 6 rows
>> Speed Range
>> Points
>> 0 – 25 mph
>> 1
>> 26 – 30 mph
>> 2
>> 31 – 35 mph
>> 3
>> 36 – 40 mph
>> 4
>> 41 mph or over
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> B. Crosswalk Characteristics
>> These points will be apportioned based upon the highest-scoring
>> characteristics of any of the
>> crosswalks at the intersection. For example, if any of the crosswalks at 
>> an
>> intersection have a
>> median island protruding into an intersection, then the intersection will
>> receive the two points
>> allotted for that characteristic.
>> list of 1 items
>> (a)
>> Location of Pedestrian Push Button. Pedestrian push buttons that are too
>> far from
>> the intersection can present difficulties for blind pedestrians. They may
>> make it
>> harder for an individual to use the button as a cue for alignment and/or 
>> to
>> push the
>> button and cross in the same cycle.
>> list end
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 4 rows
>> Location of Pedestrian Actuations
>> Points
>> One or more ped pushbuttons located > 10 ft from curb
>> 1
>> One or more ped pushbuttons located > 5 ft from crosswalk extended
>> 2
>> One or more ped pushbuttons out of alignment with direction of travel
>> 2
>> table end
>>
>> list of 1 items
>> (b)
>> Median Islands Blind pedestrians have difficulties interpreting traffic
>> clues at
>> medians and islands. Efforts should be made to permit the blind to cross 
>> in
>> one
>> continuous movement. In such cases, signal timing should be extended to
>> accommodate the full crossing. Divided streets with or without a 
>> pedestrian
>> signal
>> actuator in the median will be handled as a single crossing, with the 
>> width
>> measured
>> across the entire street.
>> list end
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 2 rows
>> Median Island
>> Points
>> Protruding into crosswalk, or cut through.
>> 2
>> table end
>>
>> list of 1 items
>> (c)
>> Alignment of Crosswalk. A skewed crosswalk is one in which the direction 
>> of
>> travel
>> on the crosswalk differs from that on the approaching sidewalk. In this
>> context,
>> skew is not defined as the angle at which streets intersect. If a blind
>> pedestrian
>> walking a straight line from the approaching sidewalk is headed toward
>> parallel
>> traffic lanes, the crosswalk is skewed. If the pedestrian would end up
>> deviating from
>> the crosswalk, but would still arrive at the opposite corner, the 
>> crosswalk
>> is not
>> defined as skewed for this purpose.
>> list end
>> Skewed Crosswalk
>> 4
>> (d) Distance to Alternative APS
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 6 rows
>> Distance to Alternative APS Crosswalk
>> Points
>> 1 block
>> 0
>> 2 blocks
>> 0
>> 3 blocks
>> 2
>> 4 blocks
>> 2
>> 5 or more blocks
>> 3
>> table end
>>
>> (e) Requests for APS
>> New requests for APS will be recorded by the ADA Coordinator. Requestors
>> will be
>> asked to specify the reason for the request (e.g. proximity on a route to
>> school or work),
>> the difficulty they encounter at the intersection, and the time of day 
>> that
>> presents the
>> greatest difficulty. This information may be used by the Orientation and
>> Mobility
>> Evaluation team in assessing the intersection.
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 4 rows
>> APS Requests
>> Points
>> 1 request
>> 1
>> 2 recent documented requests
>> 2
>> 3 or more recent, documented requests
>> 3-4
>> table end
>>
>> B) Pedestrian Usage
>> Blind pedestrians share many characteristics with the sighted population 
>> in
>> that they go to public
>> places, business, social, educational and medical facilities. At the same
>> time they have
>> special needs. For example, they may have a greater reliance on public
>> transportation than
>> sighted persons. Audible signals should be placed with the view of
>> improving mobility of blind
>> persons and making more facilities accessible to them. Proximity of 
>> signals
>> to these facilities
>> may assure a greater degree of utilization.
>> list of 1 items
>> 1.
>> Proximity to facilities for people who are blind or visually impaired:
>> This includes the
>> Department of Rehabilitation, Social Security offices, Valley Center for
>> the Blind and
>> other similar facilities. Special consideration may be given to senior
>> citizens complexes
>> or public housing facilities that have one or more blind or visually
>> impaired persons in
>> residence. Points are assigned on the basis of blocks or distance (1 
>> block
>> equals 400
>> feet) from proposed APS site to subject facility. The closer the two are,
>> the more points
>> are assigned.
>> list end
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 6 rows
>> Proximity
>> Points
>> 4 to 6 blocks
>> 2
>> 3 blocks
>> 4
>> 2 blocks
>> 6
>> 1 block
>> 8
>> At subject facility
>> 10
>> table end
>>
>> 2. Proximity to key facilities utilized by all pedestrians (blind and
>> sighted.): This includes
>> medical, educational, social, recreational, shopping, commercial, 
>> business,
>> public and
>> governmental facilities. Points are assigned on the basis of blocks or
>> distance (1 block
>> equals 400 feet) from proposed APS site to subject facility. In case of
>> multiple facilities,
>> points will be assigned on the basis of the closest facility.
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 6 rows
>> Proximity
>> Points
>> 4 to 6 blocks
>> 1
>> 3 blocks
>> 2
>> 2 blocks
>> 3
>> 1 block
>> 4
>> At subject facility
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> 3. Access to public transit: Because blind and visually impaired persons
>> rely heavily upon
>> public transportation (bus or trolley), special consideration will be 
>> given
>> to those
>> proposed APS sites that have heavy general use, serves any of the
>> facilities indicated
>> above (Ref. B-1 and B-2), or serves as a transfer point and serves 2 or
>> more transit
>> routes within a one-block walking distance.
>> list of 1 items
>> a)
>> Number of transit stops and/or transit routes within one block of 
>> proposed
>> audible
>> signal site.
>> list end
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 6 rows
>> Number of Routes and Stops
>> Points
>> 1 – 2 routes and 1 stop
>> 1
>> 3 or more routes and 1 stop
>> 2
>> 1 – 2 routes and 2 stops
>> 3
>> 3 or more routes and 2 stops
>> 4
>> 2 or more routes and more than 2 stops
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> b) Passenger usage is based upon the total passengers boarding and
>> debarking each
>> day at a transit stop or transfer point within a one-block walking
>> distance.
>>
>> table with 2 columns and 7 rows
>> Passengers Boarding and Debarking Each Day
>> Points
>> 0 – 49
>> 0
>> 50-149
>> 1
>> 150-249
>> 2
>> 250-499
>> 3
>> 500-999
>> 4
>> 1,000 and over
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> C) Traffic Conditions
>> Vehicle volumes, traffic distribution, traffic congestion and flow
>> characteristics may assist or
>> impede the blind traveler in crossing an intersection. Blind pedestrians
>> can function best when
>> crossing signalized intersections that are at right angles with a 
>> moderate
>> but steady flow of
>> traffic through the intersection on each leg and with a minimum of 
>> turning
>> movements (right or
>> left turns). Traffic that stops on each leg during each signal cycle is
>> particularly helpful. Traffic
>> that is either light, or very heavy, or erratic in its flow makes it
>> difficult for the blind traveler to
>> pick up audible clues as to whether the light is red or green. In such
>> cases, audible signals will
>> assist in determining when it is possible to cross the street. Points may
>> be assigned by the
>> evaluation team based upon their perception of the relative importance of
>> each of these factors
>> (which are not necessarily dependent upon the total average daily 
>> traffic).
>> Candidate locations
>> may score up to a maximum of 5 points for each of the following factors
>> depending upon overall
>> traffic distribution.
>>
>> table with 3 columns and 6 rows
>> Heavy Traffic Flow
>> Vehicles per hour
>> Points
>> Approach traffic on all legs is in excess of 2,000 vehicles per hour 
>> during
>> any peak hour.
>> 2,000 – 2,999
>> 1
>> Approach traffic on all legs is in excess of 2,000 vehicles per hour 
>> during
>> any peak hour.
>> 3,000 – 3,999
>> 2
>> Approach traffic on all legs is in excess of 2,000 vehicles per hour 
>> during
>> any peak hour.
>> 4,000 – 4,999
>> 3
>> Approach traffic on all legs is in excess of 2,000 vehicles per hour 
>> during
>> any peak hour.
>> 5,000 – 5,999
>> 4
>> Approach traffic on all legs is in excess of 2,000 vehicles per hour 
>> during
>> any peak hour.
>> 6,000 and over
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> table with 3 columns and 7 rows
>> Off Peak Traffic Presence Direction 1
>> Points
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Constant (≥ 90%)
>> 0
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Heavy (70-80%)
>> 1
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Moderate (50-60%)
>> 2
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Light (30-40%)
>> 3
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Occasional (<30%)
>> 4
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> None (no through lanes to create surge noise.
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> table with 3 columns and 7 rows
>> Off Peak Traffic Presence
>> Direction 2
>> Points
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Constant (≥ 90%)
>> 0
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Heavy (70-80%)
>> 1
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Moderate (50-60%)
>> 2
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Light (30-40%)
>> 3
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> Occasional (<30%)
>> 4
>> At least two vehicles present on both directions on parallel street,
>> expressed as a percentage of ten cycles.
>> None (no through lanes to create surge noise.
>> 5
>> table end
>>
>> E.) Mobility Evaluation
>> Each intersection being considered for audible signals should be 
>> evaluated
>> by a certified
>> orientation and mobility specialist. Based on the judgment of the O-M
>> specialist and the
>> evaluation team, additional points may be assigned based on observed or
>> special conditions not
>> adequately covered by any of the previous factors. This may include a 
>> heavy
>> right-turn volume,
>> right-turn island, right-turn signals, limited cone of “visibility”, etc.
>> Points
>> Mobility and miscellaneous factors
>> 0-15
>> Signals without Pedestrian Actuations
>> Signalized intersections without pedestrian actuations may be considered
>> for evaluation under
>> this priority system, provided the following conditions are met:
>> list of 3 items
>> 1.
>> There must be a demonstrated problem or need that can be alleviated by 
>> the
>> installation of an audible signal in the form of a request from an
>> individual or group
>> that would use the audible signal.
>> 2.
>> The evaluation team must unanimously concur with the need.
>> 3.
>> Appropriate pedestrian actuation buttons and circuits must be provided as
>> part of the
>> APS installation.
>> list end
>> Accessible Signals at New Signal Installations
>> Accessible signals will be considered for new signal installation if it 
>> is
>> determined that
>> installation is warranted by the criteria established above.
>> Public Notice of Installation of Accessible Signals
>> The City recognizes that the installation of an APS may be of interest to
>> the community,
>> especially residents in the immediate vicinity of the candidate
>> intersection. In addition, research
>> has indicated that APS are more effectively used by blind and visually
>> impaired pedestrians if
>> they have notice of its location and a basic understanding of the type of
>> signal installed.
>> Accordingly, the Director of Public Works will provide a notice to
>> neighbors in a 350 feet radius
>> from the intersection of the proposed installation of an APS at that 
>> site,
>> and invite concerned
>> citizens to contact him in writing. In addition, the Department of Public
>> Works will issue press
>> releases and informing the public and organizations serving people with
>> disabilities, especially
>> visual impairments, of type and location of proposed and installed APS.
>> _______________________________________________
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