NYMTC Regional Pedestrian Safety Study - New York Metropolitan ...

lane configuration into a one through-lane with left turn bay, left-turning vehicles only have to be
aware of one lane of oncoming traffic rather than the possibility of cars that are hidden behind
vehicles in the left oncoming lane. This allows more driver attention to be on pedestrians in the
crosswalk.
Right-Turn-on-Red Restrictions: Vehicles that are taking advantage of right turn on red often
are not alert to pedestrians trying to cross because the driver is watching for vehicles coming
from the left. Additionally, the vehicles often pull across the crosswalk in order to have better a
view. In areas with many pedestrians, prohibiting red turns on red increases pedestrian safety
and convenience. New York City has a citywide prohibition of red turns on red.
Pedestrian-Actuated Signals: Actuated signals are recommended in areas where there is low,
mostly random pedestrian activity. Their function is to initiate the WALK indicator; in some
cases, they also lengthen the time available for the pedestrian to cross the intersection. The most
common technology used for actuated pedestrian signals is a push button.
Pedestrians frequently complain that the push buttons do not work properly – usually because
they are not aware of the buttons’ function or how the buttons actually operate. Push buttons
should provide feedback to assure the pedestrian that their input was received and the button is
functional. Three types of feedback are vibratory, audible, and light up (or a combination of the
two or three of them). NYSDOT has installed buttons that light up to provide such feedback on
Route 9 at Marist College.
Vandal Proof push buttons: Push buttons are sometimes vandalized; for example, they attract
kids, who stick gum and other things in the buttons. At least one manufacturer, Polara
Engineering, has produced a push button called the Bull Dog, which they claim cannot be
vandalized. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is considering testing them at an
intersection.
On call Priority Pedestrian Phase: A rather new technology that is becoming popular in places
where there is low pedestrian activity – where no pedestrian phase is in place within the signal
cycle – is an on-call pedestrian phase. The push button activates the pedestrian phase within a
few seconds of actuation. This technology is popular for pedestrians as it eliminates the
uncertainty mentioned earlier on the operation of the push buttons. NYSDOT has installed them
in several places; the feedback from pedestrians so far has been very positive due to their almost
immediate activation. This technology should only be used where appropriate; in many high
volume locations or for coordinated signal networks, it would be very disruptive to traffic flow.
Passive Pedestrian Detectors: Passive detectors detect if someone is at or near the curb at a
crosswalk and actuates the crossing signal automatically. The Port Authority estimates that
about 80 percent of pedestrians do not push buttons for crossing, and as a result cross the
intersection in dangerous situations (e.g., when traffic on the parallel street have a left turn signal
that the pedestrian may be unaware of). They may consider testing passive detectors. One
disadvantage of passive detectors is that false signals (caused by pedestrians walking nearby,
weather, or even vehicles) may be disruptive to traffic.
NYMTC Pedestrian Safety Study 78