[IL-Talk] Overview Presentation on Chicago APS

[Kelly Pierce]

For those who could not make it to the Chicago open house on
accessible pedestrian signals, I have pasted below the script for the
PowerPoint presentation that was delivered to attendees.  Feedback is
encouraged to the e-mail address listed at the end of the document.


Kelly



Slide 1
Accessible Pedestrian Signals Pilot Project – Citywide and Central Loop
Public Meeting Open House
July 18, 2019
Welcome to the public meeting open house for the Accessible Pedestrian
Signals pilot project.

Slide 2
TODAY’S GOALS
Provide a project overview
Present the design process and evaluation criteria
Discuss schedule and next steps
Present prioritized locations
Receive your input!
Today, we will introduce the Accessible Pedestrian Signals pilot
project. This project is being led by the Chicago Department of
Transportation (CDot) in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office for
People with Disabilities (MOPD).
During this presentation, we will provide an overview of the project
and Accessible Pedestrian Signals and present the design process and
evaluation criteria used to develop prioritized locations. We will
also review the project schedule and the next steps. Finally, we are
looking for your input on the proposed project.
Following this presentation, we invite you to visit the other stations
in the room.  At these stations, you can review the list of
prioritized intersection locations identified for installation and how
the Accessible Pedestrian Signal equipment operates. Finally, we are
looking for your input on the proposed project.
Project team members are available to answer any questions and receive
your input.  Exhibits from today’s meeting will be available online at
TinyURL.com/ChicagoAPS.  Additional feedback can be submitted via
email to CDotAPS at CityOfChicago.org.
Slide 3
PROJECT GOALS
Support people with visual and hearing disabilities
Support CDot’s initiative for citywide APS implementation
Develop best practices
The goals of the project are to:
Support people with hearing and visual disabilities accessing transit
within the City of Chicago;
Support CDot’s initiative to integrate Accessible Pedestrian Signals
citywide in future projects; and
Develop best practices for the design and installation of Accessible
Pedestrian Signals.

Slide 4
PROJECT OVERVIEW
What are Accessible Pedestrian Signals?
Audible tones
Speech messages
Vibrating surfaces
APS Benefits
Enhance pedestrian safety
Enhance pedestrian mobility
Enhance pedestrian accessibility
What are Accessible Pedestrian Signals?
Accessible Pedestrian Signals (commonly referred to as APS)
communicate information about the WALK phase in non-visual formats
such as audible tones, speech messages, and-or vibrating surfaces to
enhance accessibility and enable pedestrians with visual and-or
hearing disabilities to safely cross the street at signalized
intersections.  Enhanced pedestrian accessibility is particularly
important at intersections that have some of the following
characteristics:
complex layout and-or signal phasing,
right turns on red, or
are in areas with excessive background noise.
These characteristics are particularly challenging for pedestrians
with visual disabilities who may rely on audible cues in traffic noise
for when to safely cross the roadway.
More specifically, APS systems enhance pedestrian safety, mobility,
and accessibility by providing information about:
The existence and location of the pushbutton
The status of the pedestrian phase
The beginning of the WALK interval
The alignment of the crosswalk; and
The location of the destination sidewalk
APS additionally provides enhancements that are in line with Chicago's
Vision Zero commitment to eliminate death and serious injury from
traffic crashes.

Slide 5
PROJECT OVERVIEW
APS Investigation
Design Guidelines
Equipment
Project Design Requirements
M U T C D Compliant
Active Detection
Audible Indications
Vibro-tactile Push Button
The groundwork for moving the project forward is based on the project
team’s investigation of current APS standards, guidelines, and
equipment. The project’s design is grounded in the Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices (M U T C D), which defines federal standards
for traffic control devices in the United States.  The project also
relies on guidelines published by the National Cooperative Highway
Research Program (NCHRP) and the US Access Board.    Current APS
technologies have been surveyed to identify products that conform to
the project’s design requirements and goals.
Requirements for use of APS technologies on this project include, but
are not limited to:
M U T C D Compliance,
Active Detection, which requires a pedestrian to push a button to
initiate a WALK phase,
Audible indications, which includes either a percussive tone or speech
walk message, and
Vibro-tactile push buttons, which includes a tactile arrow that
vibrates during the WALK phase.

Slide 6
DESIGN PROCESS
Stakeholder coordination
Draft locations
Near public transportation
Six location environments
Evaluation criteria developed
Starting in 2011, CDot and MOPD engaged community stakeholders to
develop a draft list of pilot APS locations. With two funding grants
from the Federal Transit Administration coming online in 2015 and 2017
for design and construction, proximity and connectivity to public
transit were key factors in determining the locations. Additionally,
to better gauge challenges and effectiveness of APS at various types
of intersections found citywide, the draft locations were further
categorized based on their respective environment. The location
environments include: Central Business District, Institutional,
Six-Legged intersections, University Campus, and Stakeholder
suggestions. Ultimately, 113 draft locations were developed for
further evaluation.
The project team evaluated and prioritized the draft locations
utilizing APS prioritization tools adapted from NCHRP Project 3-62,
which was a national project to develop guidelines for implementing
APS. The results from the APS prioritization were shared with the
stakeholder group. Based on feedback from the group, evaluation
criteria and scoring values were refined to better reflect needs and
concerns within the local community.
Based on available funding and preliminary cost estimates, no more
than 65 locations will proceed into the engineering design phase, and
no fewer than 25 locations are expected to proceed to construction.





Slide 7
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Prioritization Worksheet Tool
Intersection Factors
Geometric Factors
Signal Control Factors
To select the top 65 locations for consideration of APS installation,
the project team scored the candidate locations with the refined
Prioritization Worksheet Tool adapted from the NCHRP.  The
Prioritization Worksheet Tool calculates a prioritization score for
each intersection and is based on various observable criteria and
their assigned values.
The various intersection criteria and basis of the evaluation are
grouped into three design parameters:   intersection factors,
geometric factors, and signal control factors.
Slide 8
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Intersection Factors
Intersection Configuration
Type of Traffic Signalization
Distance to Transit Facilities
Distance to Visually Impaired Facilities
Distance to High Pedestrian Generators
The intersection factors evaluated at each location are:  intersection
configuration, type of traffic signalization, distance to transit
facilities, distance to facilities for people with visual
disabilities, and distance to high pedestrian generators.
The intersection configuration evaluation was based on the number of
legs at an intersection or whether the location is a midblock
crossing.
The type of traffic signalization evaluation was based on how the
existing traffic signal operates at the intersection. Consideration
was given at each location based on whether:  the intersection has a
pre-timed traffic signal; the signal has vehicle or pedestrian
actuation that triggers changes in the signal patterns; split phasing
of the signal causes alternate traffic movements; an exclusive
pedestrian phase is present; and, a leading pedestrian interval (LPI)
is present at the location, which can affect the crossing time.
Distance to transit facilities considered the type and number of
facilities within 4 blocks of the intersection.
Distance to programs for people with visual disabilities and high
pedestrian generators, such as civic buildings or hospitals, were also
considered within 4 blocks of the intersection.

Slide 9
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Geometric Factors
Curb radius greater than 25’
Pedestrian islands or medians
Apex curb ramps
Crosswalk skews
Crossing distance
Greater than 75 ft
Greater than 100 ft
Greater than 120 ft
The geometric factors evaluated at each intersection location are:
curb radii greater than 25 ft, presence of pedestrian islands or
medians, presence of apex curb ramps (which are curb ramps that lead
toward the middle of the intersection), skewed crosswalk, and crossing
distance.
With exception of crossing distance, each of the crosswalk factors can
create orientation problems and cause confusion for pedestrians with
visual disabilities.
Actual crossing distances were evaluated at each crosswalk.
Prioritization was weighted based on the measured lengths and when the
crossing distance exceeded 75 ft, 100 ft or 120 ft.
Slide 10
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Signal Control Factors
Right turns permitted on red
Leading protected left turn phase
Non-concurrent WALK intervals
Protected right turn or right turn overlap phases
Channelized right turn lane under signal control
The signal control factors evaluated at each intersection include:
right turns permitted on red, the Presence of leading protected left
turn phases, the Presence of non-concurrent walk intervals, the
presence of a protected right turn or right turn overlap phase, and
whether there is a channelized right turn under signal control.
Complex signal phases or vehicles turning right on red are
particularly challenging for pedestrians with visual disabilities, who
may rely on audible cues from traffic noise.
Slide 11
PRIORTIZED LOCATIONS
Prioritized list of 65 locations
APS Locations to be installed
APS Locations likely to be installed
APS Locations funding dependent
CDot committed to install 25 to 50 locations
Utilizing the evaluation criteria developed for the project, the top
65 APS locations to proceed into design were selected proportionally
across all 6 location environment types. The locations were further
grouped into three separate categories based on funding availability:
APS Locations to be installed; APS locations likely to be installed;
and APS Locations to be installed if funding allows.
For this project, CDot is committed to installing APS at 25 to 50
intersections dependent on final construction cost estimates, with
additional locations to be installed if funding allows.
The complete list of APS locations considered for installation are
presented at the next station.
Slide 12
SCHEDULE AND NEXT STEPS
Finalize APS locations – August 2019
Complete Design – 2020 Quarter 1
Complete Construction – 2021
Over the next month, the project team will incorporate your input from
this meeting as they finalize APS locations and continue into
engineering design. Design is anticipated to be completed the 1st
quarter of 2020 with construction anticipated to be completed in 2021.

Slide 13
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!
View other presentations
Talk with project team members
Provide a formal written comment
Written comments will be accepted through Aug. 1
We encourage you to view the other presentations and talk with the
project team members in the room.
If you would like to provide feedback on this project, please speak
with a project team member or visit the city website –
TinyURL.com/ChicagoAPS.  Comments will be accepted through August 1st,
2019 for consideration in final designs.

Slide 14
THANK YOU!
Email
 CDotAPS at CityOfChicago.org
Website
 www.Chicago.gov/city.en/depts/CDot/supp_info/aps.html
 or
TinyURL.com/ChicagoAPS
Twitter
@CDotNews
Facebook
 facebook.com/CDotNews
We appreciate your interest in the Accessible Pedestrian Signals pilot
project and thank you for attending today’s meeting.