[nfbmi-talk] one aps primer
Fred Olver
goodfolks at charter.net
Tue Aug 27 12:21:23 UTC 2013
Some time ago, I had a thought, what if one could use an app to change or
modify a crossing, that is to say make it possible to actually get across a
street by causing the entire intersection to go red.
Just a thought.
Fred Olver
Author of Dealing with Vision Loss
have a look it just makes sense.
http://www.dealingwithvisionloss.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 7:10 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] one aps primer
> Hi Chris and All,
>
> The issue of appropriately designed APS versus appropriate instruction in
> travel is not a zero sum game anymore than is the requirement for raised
> character and Braille signage on permanent rooms is so. In other words we
> can and should have both.
>
> The sighted world takes information delivery (i.e. ped signals and signs)
> for granted and does not feel diminished one with.
>
>
>
> Now I'm not talking about having an aps on every corner here, but am
> talking about equivalency. And where there is a ped signal it can, and
> should be accessible to all including, we the blind.
>
>
> I've been very passionate about these issues, as all know for years, for
> to me it is a matter, again of civil and equal rights; equal protection
> under law.
>
>
> Now, that said there is not now, nor has there ever been from me an
> argument that the cuckoos are not just cuckoo. They don't offer
> equivalency. They are annoying. And they simply often are not helpful
> either.
>
>
>
> Plus they kind of make us look silly.
>
> Whoever invented them didn't do proponents of aps any favors for sure.
>
> Nor, again do I disagree what you and Doug h have written on travel, etc.
>
> Another reason for aps though has been stated upon this list for as we all
> age often hearing and other innate mobility tools begin to break down.
>
> One of my old colleagues from New Hampshire was the best cane traveler I
> ever knew and a true mentor to me with his independence. A long time
> Federationist he was also a long time proponent for appropriate aps
> because he was losing his hearing abilities, or at least had some age
> related loss and he also dealt with the elderly blind on a daily basis.
>
> Thus our New Hampshire NFB delegation always worked in favor of aps,
> including at NFB conventions in the late nineties.
>
> Again though it isn't a matter of one or the other, but, rather both in my
> mind.
>
>
> When it comes to specific crossings I must examine them. But, again look
> at the issue of room labeling, or lack thereof for blind folks. If sighted
> folks in a hotel or school or state building get to know at first instance
> what the room is then why not us?
>
> And grinning here, I would not wish for the room to be labeled with a
> cuckoo sound, but rather with raised character and Braille signage that
> says precisely what it says to the sighted.
>
>
> ----- 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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>>
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