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Title:

Accessible Pedestrian Signals: The Effect of Push-Button Location and Audible “Walk” Indications on Pedestrian Behavior
Cover of Accessible Pedestrian Signals: The Effect of Push-Button Location and Audible “Walk” Indications on Pedestrian Behavior

Accession Number:

01023757

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

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Washington, DC 20001 United States
Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Public/Blurbs/157376.aspx

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Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309094135

Abstract:

Push-button–integrated accessible pedestrian signals (APSs) provide audible information from the push-button housing on both the location of the push button and the onset of walk intervals. APS systems must provide clear, unambiguous information on which crosswalk has the walk interval. Push buttons in the United States, including push-button–integrated APSs, are inconsistently located, and APSs do not use consistent sounds to convey the “Walk” indication. The present research (NCHRP Project 3-62) investigated the effects of push-button placement and the type of audible “Walk” indication on visually or cognitively impaired participants’ ability to determine which of two streets had the “Walk” signal. Participants performed this task most quickly and most accurately when each push-button–integrated APS was mounted on its own pole, the poles were placed along the outer line (farthest from the center of the intersection) of the associated crosswalk, each pole was located within a few feet of the curb, and the audible “Walk” indication from each APS was a fast tick (percussive sound) at 10 repetitions per second. The results further indicate that where two push buttons are installed on a single pole, verbal “Walk” messages (e.g., “Seventh; walk sign is on to cross Seventh”) result in greater accuracy than two different sounds (fast tick and cuckoo) to signal the two crossings.

Monograph Accession #:

01023740

Language:

English

Authors:

Scott, Alan C
Myers, Linda
Barlow, Janet M
Bentzen, Billie Louise

Pagination:

pp 69-76

Publication Date:

2005

Serial:

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Issue Number: 1939
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
ISSN: 0361-1981

ISBN:

0309094135

Media Type:

Print

Features:

Figures (1) ; References (8) ; Tables (2)

Subject Areas:

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control

Files:

TRIS, TRB

Created Date:

May 2 2006 2:04PM

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