Stamford Pedestrian Safety Signals Installation Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The City of Stamford

Contact:

Rachel LaBella

rlabella@stamfordct.gov

Stamford Installs Pedestrian Safety Signals to aid the Visual and Hearing Impaired

Stamford, CONN. - Mayor David Martin today announced the installation of new ADA compliant Pedestrian Safety Signals as part of the City’s ongoing mission to keep Stamford’s roads safe.

Accessible Pedestrian Signals act as integrated devices that communicate “WALK” and “DON’T WALK” intervals at signalized intersections in non-visual formats to pedestrians who are blind or have low vision. These non-visual formats include audible tones, verbal messages, and vibrotactile surfaces.

“As our city continues to grow and attract new residents and businesses, it’s vital we invest in our roadways and transportation infrastructure,” said Mayor David Martin. “I’m proud of the ongoing projects that our Transportation, Traffic and Parking Bureau execute on behalf of our City and it is my hope that these Accessible Pedestrian Signals assist our auditory and visually impaired residents in navigating our roadways.”

The Accessible Pedestrian Signals can be heard six to twelve feet from the pushbutton and automatically adjust volume in accordance with traffic noise level and will also assist pedestrians with hearing impairments in safely crossing active city intersections.

APS also provide information to the public regarding existence and location of the pushbutton, direction of the crosswalk, location of the destination curb, and the beginning of the “WALK” interval.

“Our department is now requiring ADA push buttons to be included with any new traffic signal installations in Stamford,” said Acting Chief of Transportation Frank Petise. “We have partnered with developers True North and The Smyth to reach our goal of creating a safer and more inclusive pedestrian safety model. I would also like to offer a special thank you to Stephen Frycz and the Traffic Signals Division on behalf of the city, as his hard work and commitment really helped to push this project forward.”

The first set of Accessible Pedestrian Signals have been installed at the intersections of Tresser Blvd and Atlantic Street, as well as Atlantic Street and Federal St through a public-private partnership with Charter. Audible ADA pushbuttons have been installed in various locations across the city.

Other improvements made to the city’s transportation model by the Department of Transportation, Traffic, and Parking have included the installation of the High-Intensity Activated CrossWalk HAWK) signals and the retiming of all traffic signals throughout the city to ensure accuracy.

“The City is committed to making these pedestrian safety improvements with the goal of eventually modernizing all of our traffic signals in Stamford,” said Martin.

###