Common Problems Arising in the Installation of Accessible Pedestrian Signals

Issue 5: Tactile arrow (in line)

Figure 9: Tactile arrow not aligned with crosswalk direction.

Figure 10: Location where tactile arrow is aligned with direction of travel on the crosswalk.

Figure 11: APS that was damaged in a crash and temporarily reinstalled with wire.

Figure 12: In this new construction, APS is located too far from the sidewalk to be reached by a user of a wheelchair or scooter.

Figure 13: APS installed on poles in the landscape strip, and still within reach from a level paved sidewalk surface.

Figure 14: Braille sign installed backwards, with manufacturers’ label showing. Label includes street name and print of how Braille should look. Braille beneath arrow is backwards version of the print version shown on label and is indented, rather than raised.

Misleading wayfinding information will be conveyed if the tactile arrow is oriented toward the center of the intersection, rather than parallel to the crosswalk. In the photo below (Figure 9), the arrow is out of alignment with the crosswalk direction. Even small misalignments can inadvertently direct a blind pedestrian outside the crosswalk area or into the parallel traffic.

Remedy: The APS needs to be removed and reinstalled. The arrow must be aligned with the direction of travel on the crosswalk (2003 MUTCD).

Since the tactile arrow is on the face of the device or on the pushbutton, the APS mounting affects arrow alignment. If the needed adjustment is minor, it may be possible to shim behind one side of the device to align the arrow with the crosswalk. In other cases, it may be necessary to drill new mounting holes and reposition the APS on the pole. The arrow should be aligned as shown in Figure 10.