[nfbmi-talk] one aps primer
Marcus Simmons
ceo at simmonsbosscreations.com
Tue Aug 27 13:38:44 UTC 2013
That is an engaging thought!
Cordially,
Marcus Simmons C.E.O.
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Olver" <goodfolks at charter.net>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 8:21 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] one aps primer
> 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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