Audible Indications for Accessible Pedestrian Signals

To cross streets safely, pedestrians with vision disabilities (including those with hearing disabilities) must quickly and accurately determine the onset of the walk indication. They must also be able to recognize and determine, by sound, the trajectories of vehicles that may intrude into their path of travel to allow them to take appropriate action, such as delaying the onset of crossing or pausing while crossing. In recent years, state departments of transportation have made great efforts to enhance accessibility for pedestrians with vision disabilities. These efforts often contemplate implementing various features of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS), such as changing the default walk indication from a percussive tone to a speech message and incorporating audible countdowns during the pedestrian change interval. However, these features are not fully aligned with the requirements outlined in the current Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). While the existing MUTCD standards do specify percussive tones for the walk interval, and the return of the locator tone during the clearance interval to prevent auditory masking of vehicle sounds and reduce cognitive load, groups representing vision-impaired individuals have suggested that speech messages and audible countdowns could provide more descriptive auditory cues. These enhancements may improve safety by increasing accessibility, confidence, and independence for APS users. Research is needed to provide empirical evidence on whether these proposed changes enhance the safety and accessibility of APS for pedestrians with vision disabilities. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the project is to determine the most effective types of indications for APS to enhance the safety and accessibility of pedestrians with vision disabilities using research on human factors through a combination of laboratory and field experiments.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5651
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Funding: $450,000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 03-153

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Zhao, Yi

• Start Date: 20250211
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Audible pedestrian signals; Human factors; Pedestrian movement; Pedestrian safety; Visually impaired persons
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01919150
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 03-153
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 20 2024 9:26PM