[Nfbc-info] Scramble Pedestrian Intersections?

peteer mansell pmansell at dslextreme.com
Sun Aug 12 16:19:15 UTC 2012


Hello Federationist,
I experienced a scramble intersection for the first time yesterday, in 
Carlsbad. Most of the Beach Cities Chapter was with me going to dinner. 
Everyone of us enjoyed it and appreciated the convenience of it from cane 
travelers to guide-dog users.
Peter and Aerie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George Cassell" <ApolloSeven at Earthlink.net>
To: "NFB of California List" <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2012 3:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Scramble Pedestrian Intersections?


>I first encountered one of these scrambled intersections a couple of years
> ago in San Francisco while training with my second Guide Dog from GDB.  At
> first, it was a hoot, watching people crossing the intersection from all
> four corners to any and all of the other corners at that intersection.
>
> While at first I thought this could possibly be dangerous, as soon as I
> realized that traffic in all directions was at a complete stop, with all
> traffic lights showing a steady red to all traffic in all directions, it 
> was
> almost like being at a street fair where the pedestrian was king -- as 
> long
> as the traffic lights remained red.
>
> I don't recall any audible signals for the blind at that time, but I 
> should
> think that should be quite easy -- simply place a different and distinct
> audible device on each of the four corners.  Then one could quickly and
> easily identify which of the four corner audibles was the one where one
> wanted to go, and then they could simply follow that audible signal's 
> sound
> to that particular corner.
>
> There would be no worries about wandering out into moving traffic, as 
> there
> is none at a scrambled intersection while the pedestrians are going there
> many ways.  All vehicular traffic is at a complete stop, and not permitted
> to move in any direction whatsoever.
>
> My recommendation is to standardize these four audible signals according 
> to
> their locations at the intersections.
>
> For example, a chirp could be on northeast corners, a cuckoo could be at 
> the
> southeast corner, a bell at the southwest corner and a dong at the 
> northwest
> corner.  Then blind pedestrians would be able to easily follow the sound 
> to
> their  desired corners.
>
> Unlike audible signals at other types of intersections, it's not a matter 
> of
> the audible telling you that it's safe to cross, but rather where the
> desired corner is located.  Remember, when an scramble intersection is
> active, no cars are allowed within that intersection from anywhere to
> anywhere at all.
>
> I think it's wonderful!
>
> -- George
>
>
>
>
>
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