[blindlaw] comments needed regarding policy for audiblepedestriansignals

[ckrugman at sbcglobal.net]

thanks. Some of the audible signals that have been installed thus far 
installed at appropriate intersections. Others have been installed ast 
places where there is a low volume of traffic and where there is a low 
demand. Apparently they are wanting to have a more a systematic approach in 
place to determine where signals will be installed in the future. We have 
many intersections where there are medians crossing several wide streets 
where they have not been installed. On these I personally prefer to at times 
to divide the crossing in to two sections to pay more attention to traffic 
flow. There is another location where they should probably build a 
pedestrian crossing either above or below ground. There is a precedent for a 
couple of below ground crossings one in downtown Fresno that was built in 
the 60's and one that was just opened a couple of years ago to go under 
railroad tracks that cut through the campus of the local community college. 
There have been some above ground pedestrian crossings of major roads and 
freeways to benefit children going to school. As a long-time cane user 
trained long before audible signals were fashionable or feasible I still 
believe that traffic flow is the best audible signal.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "McCarthy, Jim" <JMcCarthy at nfb.org>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 6:58 AM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] comments needed regarding policy for 
audiblepedestriansignals


> Chuck,
> I am happy to talk through this with you off line if you would prefer. 
> Nevertheless, I will offer my immediate thoughts after reading.  It is a 
> little unclear what the goal is.  This process is to prioritize 
> intersections giving those most in need APS first.  I am convinced that 
> there are several signalized (light controlled) intersections that do not 
> need these devices.  However, this might be a way to provide APS at all 
> signalized intersections in time and that may be what the Access-Board 
> will come to require.
>
> I think it is good to have as a part of the evaluation team a blind person 
> and a deaf blind person when the requester is deaf blind or serves that 
> community.  I have always found it problematic though when cities say that 
> the centers blind people use should have some super priority.  I lived in 
> Portland Oregon and the west part of the city was hilly with curvy 
> streets.  Many were not straight and some had high speed traffic. 
> However, the audible traffic signals were almost never in those 
> neighborhoods (the better ones I might add) because it was assumed that 
> blind people did not frequent them.  To me that is a ghettoizing 
> assumption that results from this process.  I do think that public transit 
> centers and such places should have greater attention paid though and this 
> document would do that.
>
> Finally, in the main, I think that the traffic and street configuration 
> factors are as they should be.  I think that the locations with the 
> greatest need based on these factors should be the first to receive 
> signals.  The Fresno process is similar to others I have seen, though I 
> would prefer that the evaluation group use the factors and evaluate all 
> signalized     intersections using the factors more than whether and how 
> many requests were made.
> Jim McCarthy
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
> Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 8:21 AM
> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: [blindlaw] comments needed regarding policy for audible 
> pedestriansignals
>
> 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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