[nfbmi-talk] one aps primer
joe harcz Comcast
joeharcz at comcast.net
Mon Aug 26 17:25:45 UTC 2013
And they are the ones required by FHWA regulations now for new
installations.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christine Boone" <christineboone2 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, August 26, 2013 1:17 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] one aps primer
> Those signals described here by Joe are by far the most effective and
> least intrusive kinds of accessible pedestrian signals.
>
> Boone Christine Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Aug 26, 2013, at 5:36 AM, "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Accessible Pedestrian Signals
>> Authors: Lloyd Rue and Janet Barlow
>> Untitled-96-425APS_P1070847_croppedC:\Users\lloyd.rue\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary
>> Internet Files\Content.Word\P1080327_cropped.jpg Description
>> Accessible pedestrian signals (APS) provide audible and/or vibrotactile
>> information
>> coincident with visual pedestrian indications. Loud audible tones during
>> the walk interval
>> from across the street (such as the commonly used cuckoo-cheep speakers
>> mounted
>> on the pedestrian signal head) are not necessary, or useful, in most
>> situations. New
>> types of APS, now required for U.S. installations, provide the audible
>> WALK indication
>> from a speaker located at the pushbutton, at a volume audible
>> only six to twelve feet from the pushbutton. Installing the APS
>> devices in separated locations on each corner, near each
>> crosswalk line furthest from the center of the intersection,
>> assists in determining which signal is sounding. The audible
>> indication is either a rapid ticking sound or a speech message;
>> a tactile arrow also vibrates during the WALK indication. The
>> audible and vibrotactile signals let pedestrians know,
>> particularly those with vision impairments or vision and hearing
>> impairments, when the walk interval begins. An additional quiet
>> tone, a pushbutton locator tone, repeats continuously once per
>> second during flashing and steady DON’T WALK to assist
>> pedestrians who are blind in knowing that there is a pushbutton
>> and in locating the push button. The APS device also includes
>> a tactile arrow aligned with the direction of travel on the crosswalk to
>> provide directional
>> information. APS can also provide a customized speech message identifying
>> the street
>> or crossing or additional information about signalization or geometry of
>> the intersection.
>> Courtesy of Janet Barlow
>> Benefits
>> APS can provide information to pedestrians about the presence and
>> location of a
>> pushbutton. The audible information provides unambiguous information
>> about the
>> WALK indication and which crossing is being signaled, if installed
>> properly, to those who
>> are unable to see the WALK.
>> Considerations
>> Volume of APS should be carefully adjusted and controlled. APS that
>> automatically
>> adjust in response to ambient sound levels are now required by the MUTCD
>> when APS
>> are installed. If not adjusted properly, sounds produced by APS may
>> disturb neighbors
>> and prevent pedestrians who are visually impaired from hearing the
>> traffic sounds,
>> which they need to hear in addition to the APS.
>> See Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practices1 at
>> www.apsguide.org provides extensive information on uses of APS by
>> pedestrians who are blind or visually
>> impaired, a tool for prioritizing installation locations, and information
>> on various features
>> of APS including audible beaconing,. Audible beaconing refers to
>> providing a louder signal from the opposite side of the street to provide
>> directional information. Audible
>> beaconing should be used only where necessary; Additional research on
>> audible
>> beaconing is ongoing.2, 3 . Careful installation is also very important
>> to proper
>> functioning of the devices. In addition to the APS guide, Common Problems
>> arising in
>> the installation of Accessible Pedestrian Signals4 provides installation
>> information and
>> guidance.
>> The 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)5 includes
>> standards and
>> guidance for APS and APS detector (pushbutton) placement in sections
>> 4E.09 through
>> 4E.13 Section 4E.08 provides new standards and guidance on the placement
>> of all
>> pedestrian detectors, and figures 4E-3 and 4E-4 show typical pushbutton
>> locations.
>> On July 26, 2011, the U.S. Access Board released for public comment
>> proposed
>> guidelines for accessible public rights-of-way, Proposed Accessibility
>> Guidelines for
>> Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way.6 As indicated in the
>> preamble to the
>> notice of proposed rule, the guidelines provide design criteria for
>> public streets and
>> sidewalks, including pedestrian access routes, street crossings, curb
>> ramps and
>> blended transitions, on-street parking, street furniture, and other
>> elements. The
>> specifications comprehensively address access that accommodates all types
>> of
>> disabilities, including mobility and vision impairments, while taking
>> into account
>> conditions and constraints that may impact compliance, such as space
>> limitations and
>> terrain.
>> The guidelines, once finalized and implemented as standards, will apply
>> to newly
>> constructed or altered portions of public rights-of-way covered by the
>> Americans with
>> Disabilities Act (ADA). They will also apply to public rights-of-way
>> built or altered with
>> funding from the Federal government under the Architectural Barriers Act
>> (ABA) and the
>> Rehabilitation Act. Existing pedestrian networks not undergoing
>> alteration will not be
>> required to meet these requirements. The rights-of-way guidelines
>> complement, and in
>> some areas, reference the Board's ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines
>> for buildings
>> and facilities.
>> These guidelines and additional information can be found at
>> www.access-board.gov under Public Rights-of-Way. Portions of the
>> applicable standard are shown below:6 R209 Accessible Pedestrian Signals
>> and Pedestrian Pushbuttons
>> R209.1 General. Where pedestrian signals are provided at pedestrian
>> street
>> crossings, they shall include accessible pedestrian signals and
>> pedestrian
>> pushbuttons complying with sections 4E.08 through 4E.13 of the MUTCD
>> (incorporated by reference, see R104.2). Operable parts shall comply with
>> R403.
>> Advisory R209 Accessible Pedestrian Signals and Pedestrian Pushbuttons.
>> An accessible pedestrian signal and pedestrian pushbutton is an
>> integrated
>> device that communicates information about the WALK and DON’T WALK
>> intervals at signalized intersections in non-visual formats (i.e.,
>> audible tones and
>> vibrotactile surfaces) to pedestrians who are blind or have low vision.
>> R209.2 Alterations. Existing pedestrian signals shall comply with R209.1
>> when
>> the signal controller and software are altered, or the signal head is
>> replaced.
>> Required language for speech WALK messages and pushbutton information
>> messages
>> is provided in the MUTCD. Some of the research that led to those
>> requirements can be
>> found in an Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Journal article.7
>> Early Adopters/Case Studies
>> From APS: A guide to best practice1, with updated information for this
>> report.
>> 1. Portland, Oregon
>> a. Portland began installing APS in late 1970s.8
>> b. As of December 2011, APS have been installed at 148 intersections;
>> that
>> amounts to more than 35% of the total intersection locations with
>> pedestrian detection. 75 of those are equipped with the new APS with
>> push button locater tones.
>> 2. Maryland Department of Transportation9
>> a. Maryland is installing pushbutton-integrated APS at all intersections
>> with
>> pedestrian signals by 2015. APS are installed during construction or
>> reconstruction of intersections. A prioritization checklist is used to
>> rate
>> intersections where APS are requested (when no construction is planned
>> at that location).
>> b. 394 APS projects were completed by January 2009; design was underway
>> for approximately 450 more intersections.
>> 3. Charlotte, North Carolina
>> a. Installations began in the year 1999
>> b. APS have been installed at 59 intersections, as of December 2011, with
>> 15 more planned in the succeeding six-month period.
>> 4. San Francisco, California
>> a. As a result of a negotiated agreement with the California Council of
>> the
>> Blind, in June 2007, San Francisco committed to install accessible
>> pedestrian signals at no fewer than 80 intersections over the next two
>> and
>> a half years. As of December 2011, 125 intersection installations have
>> been completed.
>> Cost to implement
>> $1000 to $10,000 estimated per crosswalk (2009 estimates), as a feature
>> added to an
>> existing intersection not equipped with APS. The variability in the
>> estimated cost to
>> implement is due to the variations in the amount of electrical or
>> construction work
>> needed to place devices and pushbutton poles in appropriate locations.
>> However, if the
>> 2009 MUTCD guidance for location of all pushbutton poles is followed,
>> pushbuttons will
>> be in the proper location for APS installation, so the costs should be
>> lower. APS
>> devices average $600. per device.
>> Illustrations
>> Audible and vibrotactile pushbuttons,
>> ref. 1
>> Optimal location of pushbutton-integrated APS, ref. 1
>> Photos courtesy of Janet Barlow, Accessible Design for the Blind,
>> Asheville, NC
>> References
>> 1. Harkey, D.L., Carter, D.L., Barlow, J.M. & Bentzen, B.L. Accessible
>> pedestrian
>> signals: A guide to best practice. National Cooperative Highway Research
>> Program Web-Only Document 150, Washington, DC: National Cooperative
>> Highway Research Program. (2007) www.apsguide.org
>> 2. Harkey, D.L., Carter, D.L., Barlow, J.M., Bentzen, B.L., Myers, L. &
>> Scott, A.
>> Guidelines for accessible pedestrian signals final report. Contractor’s
>> Final
>> Report for NCHRP Project 3-62, National Cooperative Highway Research
>> Program Web-Only Document 117B, Washington, DC: National Cooperative
>> Highway Research Program. (2007)
>> 3. Barlow, J.M., Scott, A.C., Bentzen, B.L. Audible Beaconing with
>> Accessible
>> Pedestrian Signals. AER Journal: Research and Practice in Visual
>> Impairment
>> and Blindness, Vol. 2, Number 4, (2009): 149 – 158. [NIHMS167632]
>> 4. Barlow, J.M. Common problems arising in the installation of accessible
>> pedestrian signals. U.S. Access Board, Washington, D.C., (2009)
>> http://access-
>> board.gov/research/pedestrian-signals/bulletin.htm
>> 5. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
>> Manual on
>> Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2009 Edition. ATSSA/ITE/AASHTO (2010).
>> http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/. 6. U.S. Access Board. Proposed Accessibility
>> Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in
>> the Public Right-of-Way. Washington, D.C.: Architectural and
>> Transportation
>> Barriers Compliance Board. (2011). http://www.access-
>> board.gov/prowac/nprm.pdf 7. Bentzen, B.L., Barlow, J.M. and Franck, L.
>> Speech Messages for Accessible
>> Pedestrian Signals. ITE Journal, 74-9, (2004): 20-24.
>> 8. Kloos, B. Briefing Paper on Intersection Traffic Control Wayfinding
>> Cues at
>> Intersections Workshop; accessed December 2011
>> http://www.ite.org/accessible/curbramp/Kloos_%20Briefing.pdf 9. Maryland
>> State Highway Administration. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
>> Quarterly Report to FHWA (January 2009); accessed December 2011
>> http://www.sha.maryland.gov/opr/FHWA_Report_Jan_09_FINAL.pdf. Related
>> Publications:
>> Ashmead, D.H., Wall, R.S., Bentzen, B.L., & Barlow, J. M. Which
>> crosswalk? Effects of
>> accessible pedestrian signal characteristics. ITE Journal, 74-9, (2004):
>> 26-31:
>> Barlow, J.M., & Franck, L. Crossroads: Modern interactive intersections
>> and accessible
>> pedestrian signals. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. Vol 99,
>> (10), (2005):
>> 599-610.
>> Barlow, J.M., Bentzen, B.L. & Bond, T. Blind pedestrians and the changing
>> technology and
>> geometry of signalized intersections: Safety, orientation and
>> independence. Journal of
>> Visual Impairment and Blindness. Vol. 99:10, (2005): 587-598.
>> Barlow, J. M. Common Problems Arising in the Installation of Accessible
>> Pedestrian Signals.
>> Washington, DC: U.S. Access Board, (2009).
>> Bentzen, B.L., Barlow, J.M. & Bond, T. Challenges of Unfamiliar
>> Signalized
>> Intersections for Pedestrians who are Blind: Research on Safety.
>> Transportation
>> Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1878,
>> (2004):
>> 51 -57.
>> Bentzen, B.L., Scott, A.C., & Barlow, J.M. Accessible pedestrian signals:
>> Effect of device
>> features. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation
>> Research
>> Board, No. 1982. (2006): 30-37.
>> Carter, D.L., Harkey, D.L., Bentzen, B.L., & Barlow, J.M. Development of
>> an intersection
>> prioritization tool for accessible pedestrian signal installation.
>> Transportation Research
>> Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1982, (2006):
>> 13-20.
>> Marston, J.R. and Golledge, R.G. Towards an accessible city: Removing
>> functional
>> barriers for the blind and vision impaired: A Case for Auditory Signs.
>> Final
>> Report. University of California Berkeley: University of California
>> Transportation
>> Center. (2000)
>> Noyce, D.A. and Barlow, J.M. Interfacing Accessible Pedestrian Signals
>> with Traffic
>> Signal Control Equipment. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Access Board. (2003)
>> Accessed at www.access-board.gov
>> Noyce, D.A., Gates, T.J. & Barlow, J.M. Pedestrian and bicyclist safety
>> at intersections, In
>> Toolbox on intersection safety and design. Washington, DC: Institute of
>> Transportation
>> Engineers, (2004).
>> Scott, A.C., Barlow, J. M., Bentzen, B.L., Bond, T.L.Y. & Gubbe, D.
>> Accessible pedestrian
>> signals at complex intersections: Effects on blind pedestrians.
>> Transportation Research
>> Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2073, (2008):
>> 94–103.
>> Scott, A.C., Myers, L., Barlow, J.M., and Bentzen, B.L. Accessible
>> pedestrian signals:
>> The effect of pushbutton location and audible WALK indications on
>> pedestrian
>> behavior. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation
>> Research Board, No. 1939, (2006): 69-76.
>> Wall, R.S., Ashmead, D.H., Bentzen, B.L., & Barlow, J. Directional
>> guidance from
>> audible pedestrian signals for street crossing. Ergonomics. (2004): Vol.
>> 47, (12),
>> 1318 – 1338.
>> Williams, M., Van Houten, R., Blasch, B., Ferraro, J. Field comparison of
>> two types of
>> accessible pedestrian signals. Transportation Research Record: Journal of
>> the
>> Transportation Research Board, No. 1939, (2005): 91-98.
>>
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