Designing Accessible Traffic Signals Adam Allen, P.E., TSOS
ADA Compliance Crackdown Draft Public Rights of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Federal and Local Crackdown
A Few Tips for Accessible Design
Sorting it All Out Understanding the Intent Create Uniformity Accessible to All Users PROWAG Elements Essentially Laws Must Comply Thorough Documentation for all non conformance MUTCD Elements Shall Conditions vs. Should Conditions
PROWAG Elements Pedestrian Access Route (PAR) 4 Minimum Clear Path around Obstructions Slope (5%) & Cross Slope (2%) Maximums PAR must be continued through crosswalks Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) Where Pedestrian Signals are provided they shall include APS (PROWAG Section R209) APS = Audible Tones, Speech Messages, Tactile Features, etc. (MUTCD Section 4E.09) Push Button Location 42 to 48 Mounting Height 10 Maximum Reach Next to 4 x 4 Landing Area of Curb Ramp
MUTCD Elements Shall Conditions Pedestrian Pd ti Indication Design New Installation shall be Countdown Mounting Height between 7 and 10 Pedestrian Detectors (Push Buttons) Signs mounted adjacent to button explaining purpose and use Signs shall hlldirect pedestrians to crosswalk (typically with message or arrow)
MUTCD Elements Should Conditions Push Button Location Unobstructed and adjacent to Landing Area Maximum 5 between the extended crosswalk coss line and dthe Push Button Between 1.5 and 6 feet from the edge of the curb to Push Button Face of the pushbutton parallel to the crosswalk to be used Mounting height of approximately 3.5 feet, but no more than 4 feet, above the sidewalk. Where there are physical constraints that make it impractical to place the pedestrian pushbutton between 1.5 and 6 feet from the edge of the curb, shoulder, or pavement, it should not be farther than 10 feet from the edge of curb, shoulder, or pavement.
MUTCD Elements Should Conditions Push Button Location (Contd) (Cont d) Where Two Pedestrian Push Buttons are required on the same corner, they should be separated by at least 10. Figure4E 4 4 gives Typical Locations
MUTCD Elements Shall Condition Push Button Location If two accessible pedestrian pushbuttons are placed less than 10 feet apart or on the same pole, each accessible pedestrian pushbutton shall be provided with the following features (see Sections 4E.11 through 4E.13): A pushbutton locator tone, A tactile arrow, A speech walk message for the WALKING PERSON (symbolizing WALK) indication, and A speech pushbutton information message.
Design Tips Signal Designers = ADA Experts Curb Ramp Design and Traffic Signal Layout must be designed concurrently Curb Ramp Types Parallel Ramps make APS design easiest Eliminating Flares sometimes helps with perpendicular ramp & APS design Don t just stick to the Standard Details Be Creative
Design Tips Drop Sidewalk In areas with tight corner radii and limited ROW, it sometimes helps to transition the sidewalk down in advance of the corner so the ramps have a smaller footprint Engineering Judgment Don t Be Afraid to Use it sometimes the MUTCD should guidance doesn t give the best options Push Button Mounting Make sure Contractor installs PB after ramps are constructed oftentimes final grades are lower than expected
Design Tips One Final Tip.
Questions?