ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS

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ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS
Jim Lampe, Control Technologies September 24, 2008
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Agenda

• What is APS
• APS Background History
• Todays Challenges
• APS in the MUTCD
• APS Research
• Future Considerations
• Legal Issues
• Information Sources
• Next Generation- Campbell Advanced APS
• Demonstration

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What is APS
A device that communicates information about
pedestrian timing/phasing in a non-visual format
such as audible tones, verbal messages and/or
vibrotactile surfaces
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What is APS
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APS History

• Audible indicators available for over 30 years
• Audible Peds- Bird chirp, Cuckoo
• NCUTCD Signals Technical Committee (STC)
  discussed and tried to deal with APS for over 20
  years.
• No agreement on needs among STC, NCUTCD
  Visually Impaired Community.
• American Council for the Blind (Pro)
• National Federation of the Blind (Against, but
  warming)
• 1992 Americans with Disabilities Act required
  access to public right-of way for people with
  disabilities.
• 1997 STC finally decided to move forward and
  assigned issue to Pedestrian Task Force (PTF).

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APS History

• 1998 TEA 21 US Access Board commissioned paper
  by Dr. Billie (Beezy) Louise Bentzen. Driving
  force, created a lot of wording for 2000 MUTCD
  edition.
• June 1998 four members of PTF met with
  representatives of various organizations set up
  for the interests of the visually impaired.
• January 1999 After 19 hours, PTF and groups
  hammered out proposed wording. Campbell involved
  from the beginning.
• Result Wording that developed into sections of
  the 2000 MUTCD

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Todays Challenges (For Visually Impaired Peds)

• Traffic volumes increased substantially in 20
  years
• Increased background noise
• Streets widened with multiple thru and turn lanes
• Signal phasing more complex
• Right/ left turn on Red
• Quieter automobiles

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Format of the MUTCD

• Standard a statement of required, mandatory, or
  specifically prohibitive practice regarding a
  TCD (shall)
• Guidance a statement of recommendation, but not
  mandatory, practice in typical situations with
  deviations allowed based on engineering studies
  (should)
• Option a statement of practice that is a
  permissive condition and carries no requirement
  or recommendation may contain allowable
  modifications to standard or guidance (may)
• Support an informational statement that does
  not carry any degree of mandate, recommendation
  authorization, or prohibition or enforceable
  condition.

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APS in the MUTCD (2000)

• Section 4E.06 Accessible Pedestrian Signals
• Audible Tones
• Verbal Messages
• Vibrotactile
• Section 4E.08 Accessible Pedestrian Signal
  Detectors
• Locator Tones
• STC recommendations to NCUTCD deliberately chose
  to avoid standardization on devices, and instead
  standardized on methods of dealing with the
  issue, allowing agencies to explore the new
  technologies coming on the market.
• 17 countries use the same APS standard, were
  different.

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APS in the MUTCD (2000)

• Accessible Device Examples
• Fully Integrated Pedestrian Station
• Sound emitted from pedestrian station
• PPB integral to pedestrian station
• Vibrotactile device integral to pedestrian
  station
• Speaker on Pedestrian Display
• Sound emitted from Pedestrian Display
• Vibrotactile devices (not for long)
• VTO

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APS in the MUTCD (2003)

• 2003 MUTCD Changes
• In 4E.09 Accessible Pedestrian Detectors a
  support statement was changed to a standard for
  emphasis
• Definition Changed- An accessible pedestrian
  signal detector shall be defined as a device
  designated to assist the pedestrian who has
  visual or physical disabilities in activating the
  pedestrian phase

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APS in the MUTCD (2003)

• 2003 MUTCD Changes
• In 4E.09 Accessible Pedestrian Detectors
  clarified APS pushbutton location (Guidance)
• Pushbuttons for accessible pedestrian signals
  should be located as follows
• Adjacent to a level all-weather surface
• Within 5 feet of the crosswalk extended
• Within 10 feet of the edge of the curb, shoulder,
  or pavement, and
• Parallel to the crosswalk to be used.

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APS in the MUTCD (2003)

• Recommended Pushbutton Locations

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APS in the MUTCD (2003)

• 2003 MUTCD Changes
• In 4E.10 Pedestrian Intervals and Signal Phases
  the Guidance was changed for calculating the
  pedestrian clearance time
• The pedestrian clearance time should be
  sufficient to allow a pedestrian crossing in the
  crosswalk who left the curb or shoulder during
  the WALKING PERSON signal indication to travel at
  a walking speed of 1.2 m (4ft) per second, to at
  least the far side of the traveled way or to a
  median of sufficient width for pedestrians to
  wait.

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APS in the MUTCD (2003)

• 2003 MUTCD Changes
• In 4E.08 Pedestrian Signal Detectors an option
  was added
• At signalized locations with demonstrated need
  and subject to equipment capabilities,
  pedestrians with special needs may be provided
  with additional crossing time by means of an
  extended pushbutton press
• We dont know of anyone doing this yet but the
  controller manufacturers are preparing

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APS Research

• APS Research - Recent Research Outcomes
• TRB Paper APS The effect of Pushbutton
  Location and Audible WALK indications on
  Pedestrian Behavior
• Speed in locating the pushbutton appears to be
  significantly influenced by the relationship
  between pushbutton location and geometry at each
  corner.
• If two pushbuttons are on a single pole, verbal
  WALK messages resulted in better accuracy than
  different sounds
• For two pushbuttons on one corner, mounted on two
  poles, rapid tick sound works best

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APS Research
APS Research - Recent Research Outcomes

• Primary APS Features
• Pushbutton Locator Tones
• Tactile Arrow
• Actuation Identification
• Audible Walk Indication
• Vibrotactile WALK Indication
• Responsive to Ambient Sound
• Secondary APS Features
• Audible Beaconing

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Future Considerations

• NCUTCD Recommended Changes in the NPA (Notice of
  Proposed Amendment)
• In 4E.06 Accessible Pedestrian Signals Research
  outcomes APS Shall meet all of the following
• APS shall have both audible and vibrotactile WALK
  indications. Vibrotactile Only gone.
• APS shall have audible walk indication during
  walk interval only.
• Apply to Countdowns?
• APS shall not provide audible pedestrian change
  interval indication.
• Apply to Countdowns? Shouldnt initiate walk in
  clearance phase
• Audible walk indications shall be a percussive
  tone.
• Quicker and clearer than verbal message (4-7
  second avg. walk time)
• Vibrotactile walk shall be by tactile arrow on
  Pushbutton.

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Future Considerations

• NCUTCD Recommended Changes in the NPA
• In 4E.09 Accessible Pedestrian Detector
  strengthened APS pushbutton location requirements
• When pedestrian actuation is used, pushbuttons
  shall be located to meet all of the following
• Unobstructed and Adjacent to a level all-weather
  surface
• Within 5 feet of the crosswalk extended
• Between 1.5 and 6 feet of the edge of the curb,
  shoulder, or pavement
• Was 10
• Parallel to the crosswalk to be used, and
• At a maximum mounting height of 4 feet above
  sidewalk.
• Most installed 36-42

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Future Considerations

• NCUTCD Recommended Changes in the NPA
• In 4E.06 Accessible Pedestrian Signals research
  outcomes Audible Beaconing
• Audible Beaconing is the use of an audible signal
  in such a way that blind pedestrians can home in
  on the signal.
• Not all crosswalks at an intersection need
  audible beaconing beaconing can actually cause
  confusion if used at all crosswalks.
• Audible beaconing should only be considered
  following an engineering study at
• Crosswalks longer than 70 feet skewed multiple
  legs

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Future Considerations

• NCUTCD Recommended Changes in the NPA
• 4E.10 Pedestrian Intervals and Signal Phases -
  Walking Speed 4.0 vs. 3.5 vs. 3.0 fps
• The pedestrian clearance time shall be
  sufficient to allow a pedestrian crossing in the
  crosswalk who left the curb or shoulder during
  the WALKING PERSON (symbolizing WALK) signal
  indication to travel at a walking speed of 1.1 m
  (3.5 ft) per second, to at least the far side of
  the traveled way or to a median of sufficient
  width for pedestrian to wait.

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Future Considerations

• NCUTCD Recommended Changes in the NPA
• 4E.10 Pedestrian Intervals and Signal Phases -
  Walking Speed 4.0 vs. 3.5 vs. 3.0 fps
• In addition, the total of the WALK interval and
  the pedestrian clearance times shall also be
  sufficient to allow a pedestrian crossing in the
  crosswalk who left the pedestrian detector at the
  beginning of the Walking Person (symbolizing
  WALK) signal indication to travel at a walking
  speed of 0.9m (3 ft) per second to the far side
  of the traveled way being crossed. Additional
  time required to satisfy the conditions of this
  paragraph shall be added to the subject phase
  pedestrian clearance time. See also the second
  option

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Future Considerations

• MUTCD do not require signals to be accessible,
  but based on current discussions at federal
  agencies and NCUTUCD, future changes are not just
  possible, but probable.
• i.e. Draft Public Right-of-Way Advisory Group
  (PROWAG) on APS requires APS where pedestrian
  signals are installed.

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Legal Issues

• Recent Legal Settlement Various Organizations
  for the Visually Impaired vs. San Francisco
  Municipal Transportation Agency
• Requires Installation of APS
• Dedicates 1.6 M Over the next 2.5 years for APS
  at a minimum of 80 Intersections
• Uses Rapid Tick sound with WALK Display
• Includes Locator Tone, Vibrotactile, Extended
  Press for Street Name Information.
• Commits City to Seek Funding, Develop Policy for
  Requesting APS, Work with Community

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Information Sources

• TRB- Accessible Pedestrian Signals Synthesis and
  Guide to Best Practice
• www.accessforblind.org
• www.walkinginfo.org

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Campbell Company

• Fully Integrated Pedestrian Stations

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Current Features

• Acknowledgement
• Visual
• Audible Wait
• Audible Walk Signals
• Tones
• Verbal Messages
• Vibrotactile Walk Signal
• Target Beaconing with Synchronized PPBs (Hard
  Wired)

• Current State APS Driven off of Outputs
• Locator Tones
• Ambient Gain Control
• Extended Press Functions
• Information
• Volume
• Actuation of APS

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Next Generation- Campbell Advanced APS

• Future State Driven via Ethernet (EoP) utilizing
  NTCIP
• May be hard wired in TS1
• Advanced Pedestrian Controller Full Real Time
  Diagnostics MMU / CCU internal to PMU
• Failsafe goes to standard PPB. No Noise/No
  Vibratactile
• Fully Synchronized Operations
• Configurable with laptop and WEB based interface

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Next Generation- Campbell Advanced APS

• Wireless Clock (WWVB) allows time operations
• Bluetooth interface allows personal hand held
  devices to communicate with the pedestrian
  station
• Current device Nokia Phone
• Future devices Advanced Pedestrian Assistant
  (UI)
• GPS will alert pedestrian if they leave crosswalk
  boudaries
• Strong platform for future features (firmware
  upgrades) based on user feedback

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Thank You!
Jim Lampe, Control Technologies September 24, 2008