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Audible Pedestrian Signals Debut At 25 NYC Intersections!
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 28, 2011
Modified Sep 28, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 28, 2011
Modified Sep 28, 2011
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Crossing the street just got a little less treacherous for blind people at 25 intersections in all four boroughs (sorry, Staten Island). New Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) introduced today feature a "distinct clicking sound" at certain intersection to let sight-impaired pedestrians know when the “walk” phase has begun. It's a heavy blow for Good Samaritans, who have been helping blind people cross the road for centuries—already installed at 21 other intersections, the DOT's new Machines are slowly but steadily rendering human kindness obsolete.
"Audible signals are literally sound investments that will help improve the safety and
quality of life for the most vulnerable New Yorkers who use our streets," DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said in a statement, eliciting a collective groan from everyone thumbing through the press release. "My dad was blind, so I know firsthand the challenges that visually impaired people face every single day," adds Councilmember Vacca. "Crossing the street can be dangerous with speeding cars, noisy crowded intersections, and new street designs, but accessible pedestrian signals can make a life-saving difference."
Of course, this is Janette Sadik-Khan we're talking about, so just give the reactionaries a minute to grab their pitchforks and torches and protest this latest example of something being shoved down somebody's throat. Isn't it interesting how the Sadik-Khan won't do anything to help deaf people cross the street? And just imagine if that "distinct clicking sound" is a terrorist!
Here are the new intersections where you can finally cross the street wearing a blindfold:
Manhattan:
East 25th Street (between 3rd and Lexington Avenues)
7th Avenue and West 32nd Street
Queens:
Queens and Woodhaven Boulevards
57th Avenue and Marathon Parkway
Bronx:
Morris Park Avenue pedestrian crossing @ Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Brooklyn:
Adams Street Pedestrian Crossing, midblock between Fulton and Johnson Streets
Nevins and Fulton Streets at Flatbush Avenue
Adams Street/Boerum Place and Livingston Streets
Adams Street and Atlantic Avenue
Bedford Avenue (between Avenue I and Campus Road)
Court and Montague Street/Cadman Plaza West
Adams and Fulton Streets
Tagged
Accessible Pedestrian Signals
aps
blind
dot
janette sadik-khan
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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