Excerpts from Draft Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (Draft PROWAG)

November 23, 2005

Updates are expected. Please check www.access-board.gov for latest information.

Sections on Accessible Pedestrian Signals

CHAPTER R1: APPLICATION AND ADMINISTRATION

R101 Purpose

R101.1 General. This document contains scoping and technical requirements for accessibility to facilities for pedestrian circulation and use located in the public right-of-way. Advisory notes are for informational purposes only. These requirements are to be applied during the design, construction, additions to, and alterations of facilities in the public right-of-way to the extent required by regulations issued by Federal agencies.

Advisory R101.1 General. Access requirements are also addressed in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), FHWA/US DOT, 2003 (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov). MUTCD is a reference standard in this guideline.

Key transportation industry guidance documents also address accessibility in the public right-of-way and can provide useful information on design and construction. They include 'Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities', American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, July 2004 (www.aashto.org) and 'Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access', FHWA/US DOT September 2001 (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sidewalk2/index.htm).

R101.2 Effect on Existing Facilities. This document does not address existing facilities unless they are included in the scope of an alteration undertaken at the discretion of a covered entity. The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Transportation have issued and enforce separate regulations for existing facilities subject to their requirements for program accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Advisory R101.2 Effect on Existing Facilities. The U.S. Department of Justice ADA regulations require that the usability of accessible features be maintained (28 CFR §35.133 and §36.211).

Federal agencies and entities receiving federal funds may also have an obligation for program accessibility under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. For example, state departments of transportation that receive Federal-aid Highway funds must comply with program accessibility requirements issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation at 49 CFR part 27.

R102 Equivalent Facilitation Nothing in these requirements prevents the use of designs, products, or technologies as alternatives to those prescribed, provided they result in substantially equivalent or greater accessibility and usability.

R103 Conventions R103.1 Dimensions. Dimensions that are not stated as "maximum" or "minimum" are absolute.

R103.1.1 Construction and Manufacturing Tolerances. All dimensions are subject to conventional industry tolerances except where the requirement is stated as a range with specific minimum and maximum end points.

Advisory R103.1.1 Construction and Manufacturing Tolerances. Conventional industry tolerances recognized by this provision include those for field conditions and those that may be a necessary consequence of a particular manufacturing process. Recognized tolerances are not intended to apply to design work.

Information on specific tolerances may be available from industry or trade organizations, code groups and building officials, and published references.

[Sections R103.2 — R103.4 not included]

R104 Referenced Guidelines and Standards

R104.1 General. The guidelines and standards listed in R104.2 are incorporated by reference in this document and are part of the requirements to the prescribed extent of each such reference. The Director of the Federal Register has approved these guidelines and standards for incorporation by reference in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies of the referenced guidelines and standards may be inspected at the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004; at the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section, 1425 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC; at the Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Room 10424, Washington DC; or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

R104.2 Referenced Guidelines and Standards. The specific edition of the guidelines and standards listed below are referenced in this document. Where differences occur between this document and the reference, this document applies.

R104.2.1 MUTCD. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD), 2003 edition. Copies of the referenced standard may be obtained on-line from the Federal Highway Administration at http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov. (see R205 and R302.4).

[Sections 104.2.2 — 104.2.3 not included]

R105 Definitions

R105.1 General. For the purpose of this document, the terms defined in R105.5 have the indicated meaning.

R105.2 Terms Defined in Referenced Guidelines and Standards. Terms not defined in R105.5 or in regulations issued by Federal agencies, but specifically defined in a referenced guideline or standard, shall have the specified meaning from the referenced guideline or standard unless otherwise stated.

R105.3 Undefined Terms. The meaning of terms not specifically defined in R105.5 or in regulations issued by Federal agencies or in referenced guidelines and standards shall be as defined by collegiate dictionaries in the sense that the context implies.

R105.4 Interchangeability. Words, terms and phrases used in the singular include the plural and those used in the plural include the singular.

R105.5 Defined Terms.

Accessible. Describes a facility in the public right-of-way that complies with this part.

Accessible Pedestrian Signal. A device that communicates information about the WALK phase in audible and vibrotactile formats.

[Rest of Section 105.5 not included]

CHAPTER R2: SCOPING REQUIREMENTS

R201 Application

R201.1 Scope. All newly designed and newly constructed facilities located in the public right-of-way shall comply with these requirements. All altered portions of existing facilities located in the public right-of-way shall comply with these requirements to the maximum extent feasible.

Advisory R201.1 Scope. This document (see R101.1General) covers facilities for pedestrian circulation and use in the right-of-way. Examples of facilities include, but are not limited to, walkways and sidewalks, street or highway shoulders where pedestrians are not prohibited, crosswalks, islands and medians, overpasses and underpasses, on-street parking spaces and loading zones, and equipment, signals, signs, street furniture, and other appurtenances provided for pedestrians. Examples of facilities not included are manholes and utility vaults.

These requirements are to be applied to all areas of a facility within the scope or limits of the planned project unless expressly exempted or limited with respect to the number of multiple elements required to be accessible. For example, not all benches are required to be accessible; those that are not required to be accessible are not required to comply with these requirements or to be served by a pedestrian access route.

R201.2 Temporary and Permanent Facilities. These requirements shall apply to temporary and permanent facilities.

Advisory R201.2 Temporary and Permanent Facilities. Temporary facilities covered by these requirements include, but are not limited to, temporary routes around work zones, portable toilets in the public right-of-way, sidewalk vending facilities, street fair booths, performance stages and reviewing stands, and the pedestrian access routes that serve them. As permitted in R203.1.1, structures and equipment directly associated with the actual processes of construction are not required to be accessible.

[rest of 201.2 advisory and section 201.3 not included]

R202 Alterations and Additions to Existing Facilities

R202.1 General. Additions and alterations to existing facilities shall comply with R202.

Advisory R202.1 General. Alterations include, but are not limited to, renovation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, historic restoration, resurfacing of circulation paths or vehicular ways, or changes or rearrangement of structural parts or elements of a facility.

[Rest of sections R202 " R207 not included]

R208 Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) Where pedestrian signals are provided at pedestrian street crossings, they shall comply with R306.

[Sections R209 " R222 not included]

CHAPTER R3: TECHNICAL PROVISIONS

[Sections R301 " R305 not included]

R306 Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS)

R306.1 General. Pedestrian signals shall comply with R306.

R306.2 Pedestrian Signals. Each crosswalk with pedestrian signal indication shall have an accessible pedestrian signal which includes audible and vibrotactile indications of the WALK interval. Where a pedestrian pushbutton is provided, it shall be integrated into the accessible pedestrian signal and shall comply with R306.2.

Advisory R306.2 Pedestrian Signals. Signals should generally sound and vibrate throughout the WALK interval. Where signals rest in WALK, audible operation may be limited to a repetition at short intervals rather than continuous sounding for several minutes.

R306.2.1 Location. Accessible pedestrian signals shall be located so that the vibrotactile feature can be contacted from the level landing serving a curb ramp, if provided, or from a clear floor or ground space that is in line with the crosswalk line adjacent to the vehicle stop line.

R306.2.1.1 Crossings. Accessible pedestrian signal devices shall be 3.0 m (10.0 ft) minimum from other accessible pedestrian signals at a crossing. The control face of the accessible pedestrian signal shall be installed to face the intersection and be parallel to the direction of the crosswalk it serves.

R306.2.1.2 Medians and Islands. Accessible pedestrian signals located in medians and islands shall be 1.5 m (5.0 ft) minimum from other accessible pedestrian signals.

R306.2.2 Reach and Clear Floor or Ground Space. Accessible pedestrian pushbuttons shall be located within a reach range complying with R404. A clear floor or ground space complying with R402 shall be provided at the pushbutton and shall connect to or overlap the pedestrian access route.

R306.2.3 Audible Walk Indication. The audible indication of the WALK interval shall be by tone or speech message.

R306.2.3.1 Tones. Tones shall consist of multiple frequencies with a dominant component at 880 Hz. The duration of the tone shall be 0.15 s and shall repeat at intervals of 0.15 s.

Advisory R306.2.3.1 Tones. Many new accessible pedestrian signal installations in the US use speech messages, which are perceived as being more user-friendly than tones. However, such messages may not be intelligible under high-ambient-noise conditions or to non-English speakers. Electronic tones are more universal and unambiguous. Section 4E.06 of the MUTCD specifies content of speech messages.

R306.2.3.2 Volume. Tone or voice volume measured at 92 cm (3.0 ft) from the pedestrian signal device shall be 2 dB minimum and 5 dB maximum above ambient noise level in standard operation and shall be responsive to ambient noise level changes. Advisory R306.2.3.2 Volume. Where additional volume or beaconing features are available on pedestrian activation, they will momentarily exceed volume limits.

R306.3 Pedestrian Pushbuttons. Pedestrian pushbuttons shall comply with R306.3.

R306.3.1 Operation. Pedestrian pushbuttons shall comply with R405.4.

R306.3.2 Pushbutton Locator Tone. Pedestrian pushbuttons shall incorporate a locator tone at the pushbutton. Pushbutton locator tone volume measured at 92 cm (3.0 ft) from the pushbutton shall be 2 dB minimum and 5 dB maximum above ambient noise level and shall be responsive to ambient noise level changes. The duration of the locator tone shall be 0.15 s maximum and shall repeat at intervals of one second. The locator tone shall operate during the DON'T WALK and flashing DON'T WALK intervals only and shall be deactivated when the pedestrian signal is not operative.

R306.3.3 Size and Contrast. Pedestrian pushbuttons shall be a minimum of 0.5 cm (2 in) across in one dimension and shall contrast visually with their housing or mounting.

R306.3.4 Optional Features. An extended button press shall be permitted to activate additional features. Buttons that provide additional features shall be marked with three braille dots forming an equilateral triangle in the center of the pushbutton.

R306.4 Directional Information and Signs. Pedestrian signal devices shall provide tactile and visual signs complying with 306.4 on the face of the device or its housing or mounting to indicate crosswalk direction and the name of the street containing the crosswalk served by the pedestrian signal.

R306.4.1 Arrow. Signs shall include a tactile arrow aligned parallel to the crosswalk direction. The arrow shall be raised 0.8 mm (.03 inch) minimum and shall be 4 mm (1.5 in) minimum in length. The arrowhead shall be open at 45 degrees to the shaft and shall be 33 percent of the length of the shaft. Stroke width shall be 10 percent minimum and 15 percent maximum of arrow length. The arrow shall contrast with the background.

R306.4.2 Street Name. Accessible pedestrian signals (APS) shall include street name information aligned parallel to the crosswalk direction and shall comply with R409.3 or shall provide street name information in audible format.

R306.4.3 Crosswalk Configuration. Where provided, graphic indication of crosswalk configuration shall be tactile.

[Sections R307 — R309 not included]

Sections referenced in R306.2.2 Reach and Clear Floor or Ground Space:

R402 Clear Space

R402.1 General. Clear space at accessible pedestrian signals (APS), street furniture, and operable parts shall comply with R402.

R402.2 Surface Characteristics. Surfaces of clear spaces shall comply with R301.5 and shall have a slope and cross slope of 2 percent maximum.

R402.3 Size. The clear space shall be 760 mm (30 in) minimum by 1220 mm (48 in) minimum.

R402.4 Knee and Toe Clearance. Unless otherwise specified, clear space shall be permitted to include knee and toe clearance complying with R403.

R402.5.Position. Unless otherwise specified, clear space shall be positioned for either forward or parallel approach to an element.

R402.6 Approach. One full unobstructed side of the clear space shall adjoin a pedestrian access route or adjoin another clear space.

R402.7 Maneuvering Space. Where a clear space is located in an alcove or otherwise confined on all or part of three sides, additional maneuvering space shall be provided in accordance with R402.7.1 and R402.7.2.

R402.7.1 Forward Approach. Alcoves shall be 915 mm (36 in) wide minimum where the depth exceeds 610 mm (24 in).

R402.7.2 Parallel Approach. Alcoves shall be 1525 mm (60 in) wide minimum where the depth exceeds 380 mm (15 in).

R404 Reach Ranges

R404.1 General. Reach ranges shall comply with R404.

R404.2 Forward Reach.

R404.2.1 Unobstructed. Where a forward reach is unobstructed, the high forward reach shall be 1220 mm (48 in) maximum and the low forward reach shall be 380 mm (15 in) minimum above the finish surface.

R404.2.2 Obstructed High Reach. Where a high forward reach is over an obstruction, the clear space shall extend beneath the element for a distance not less than the required reach depth over the obstruction. The high forward reach shall be 1220 mm (48 in) maximum where the reach depth is 510 mm (20 in) maximum. Where the reach depth exceeds 510 mm (20 in), the high forward reach shall be 1120 mm (44 in) maximum and the reach depth shall be 635 mm (25 in) maximum.

R404.3 Side Reach.

R404.3.1 Unobstructed. Where a clear space allows a parallel approach to an element and the side reach is unobstructed, the high side reach shall be 1220 mm (48 in) maximum and the low side reach shall be 380 mm (15 in) minimum above the finish surface. An obstruction shall be permitted between the clear space and the element where the depth of the obstruction is 255 mm (10 in) maximum.

R404.3.2 Obstructed High Reach. Where a clear space allows a parallel approach to an element and the high side reach is over an obstruction, the height of the obstruction shall be 865 mm (34 in) maximum and the depth of the obstruction shall be 610 mm (24 in) maximum. The high side reach shall be 1220 mm (48 in) maximum for a reach depth of 255 mm (10 in) maximum. Where the reach depth exceeds 266 mm (10 in), the high side reach shall be 1170 mm (46 in) maximum for a reach depth of 610 mm (24 in) maximum.

Section referenced in R306.3.1 Pedestrian Pushbuttons, Operation:

R405.4 Operation. Operable parts shall be operable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist. The force required to activate operable parts shall be 22 N (5 lbs) maximum.

Section referenced in R306.4.2 Street Name

R409.3 Braille. Braille shall be contracted (Grade 2) and shall comply with R409.3 and R409.4.

R409.3.1 Dimensions and Capitalization. Braille dots shall have a domed or rounded shape and shall comply with Table R409.3.1. The indication of an uppercase letter or letters shall only be used before the first word of sentences, proper nouns and names, individual letters of the alphabet, initials, and acronyms.

R409.3.1 Braille Dimensions

Measurement Range

Minimum in Millimeters
Maximum in Millimeters

Dot base diameter

1.5 mm (0.059 in) to 1.6 mm (0.063 in)

Distance between two dots in the same cell*

2.3 mm (0.090 in) to 2.5 mm (0.100 in)

Distance between corresponding dots in adjacent cells*

6.1 mm (0.241 in) to 7.6 mm (0.300 in)

Dot height

0.6 mm (0.025 in) to 0.9 mm (0.037 in)

Distance between corresponding dots from one cell directly below*

10 mm (0.395 in) 10.2 mm to (0.400 in)

* Measured center to center

R409.3.2 Position. Braille shall be positioned below the corresponding text. If text is multi-lined, braille shall be placed below the entire text. Braille shall be separated 9.5 mm (.375 in) minimum from any other tactile characters and 9.5 mm (.375 in) minimum from raised borders and decorative elements. Braille provided on elevator car controls shall be separated 4.8 mm (.1875 in) minimum and shall be located either directly below or adjacent to the corresponding raised characters or symbols.

R409.4 Installation Height and Location.

Signs with tactile characters shall comply with R409.4.

R409.4.1 Height Above Finish Floor or Ground. Tactile characters on signs shall be located 1.2 m (4.0 ft) minimum above the finish floor or ground surface, measured from the baseline of the lowest tactile character and 1.5 m (5.0 ft) maximum above the finish floor or ground surface, measured from the baseline of the highest tactile character. Tactile characters for elevator car controls shall not be required to comply with R409.4.1.

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