NIATT UTC Research Project Description

March 24,2011

Project Title:

Improving Pedestrian Safety at Signalized Intersections

Principal Investigator(s):

Dr. Richard W. Wall
POB 441023
University of Idaho
Moscow ID, 83844-1023
208 885-7226
/ Dr. Denise Bauer
POB 44xxxx
University of Idaho
Moscow ID, 83844-xxxx
208 885-6902
/ Dr. Brian Johnson
POB 441023
University of Idaho
Moscow ID, 83844-1023
208 885-6902

Type of Research:

Applied Research

Project Objectives:

Since 2004, we have investigated techniques for increasing performance capability for signalized intersections through an enabling technology called Smart Signals. This technology developed at the University of Idaho that resulted in a new commercial Advanced Accessible Pedestrian System (AAPS) will be extended to improving the safety of the operations of the countdown pedestrian signals. Under the guidance of a peer advisory group consisting of pedestrian safety advocates and industry professionals, we propose to utilize technologies and experience derived for the successful street deployment of the AAPS to develop a new generation of low voltage countdown pedestrian signals. The Smart Signals based design will remedy the missing detection of failure modes in present countdown pedestrian signals that can result in safety risks for pedestrians.

This objective relates directly to the UTC goal of reducing congestion and improving safety by developing arterial traffic management tools that can be used by practitioners and researchers. Specifically, the proposed research meets the requirements of Strategy 1.4: “Take a revolutionary approach to interfacing traffic controllers to field devices such as signal displays and detectors based on distributed traffic control hardware system that supports all potential users of FHWA’s Vehicle Infrastructure Integration initiative”

Project Abstract:

Reports of accidents involving vehicle operators and pedestrian who are distracted by entertainment and personal communications devices are raising a concern that using technology improperly can result in serious personal injury. A plethora of information is available at signalized intersections that convey information of varying degrees of importance to a pedestrian or vehicle operator. Combined with distraction, humans find themselves unable to cognitively collect, interpret, and respond appropriately in a timely manner.

The purpose of this research task for 2011 – 2012 is to investigate methods and technologies to make signalized intersections safer for pedestrians using the capabilities of the Advanced Accessible Pedestrian Systems (AAPS) that is based on the Smart Signals enabling technology developed at the University of Idaho. We intended improve safety by raising the level of attentiveness of pedestrians and provide directions that were easily understood regardless of age and visual acuity. Our research will focus on three technologies:

  1. Acoustic beaming
  2. Passive pedestrian detection
  3. Pedestrian preemption

The goal of our proposed research is determine appropriate ways to use these technologies that improve pedestrian safety and minimize the negative impact on vehicles.

Task Descriptions:

Statement of Past Work

Is walking safe? A January 2011 report to the Board of Supervisors for the City and County of San Francisco included the following reported thatpedestrian injuries totaled 3,598 between 2005 and 2008 amounting to $74.3 million, 76% of which was paid for with public health care funds [1].

As technology advances, there is the realization that improper use of technology can contribute to unsafe conditions. Human factors engineering is an essential part of introducing new technology in to safety critical applications. The United States is now encountering an aging population that has a high expectation for maintaining its mobility. Transportation grows increasing complex to stretch every possible advantage from existing infrastructure. The aging segment of society increasing has limitations that allow them to cope with the demands of hazardous complex environments. [2] The answer rarely involves in merely presenting the traveler with more a greater quantity of information. Additional information may be merely a distraction resulting in the pedestrian overlooking elements that are crucial to his or her safety. The goal of our research is to provide critical safety related information that is environmentally friendly and requires minimal cognitive efforts to assimilate.

The Advanced Accessible Pedestrian System (AAPS) developed by the University of Idaho NIATT researchers and now being marketed nationally by Campbell Company of Boise Idaho was a necessary first step in providing an infrastructure that is adaptive for new technologies.[3] There are frequent requests for enhanced operating characteristics as traffic agency engineers and technicians begin to understand the full capability of the AAPS. Most of these enhancements involve providing more information. With the capability of the AAPS, it is not only a question of what can be done, but how and when it should be done. A 2010 report prepared for the Governors Highway Safety Association clearly indicates that inattentiveness on both the vehicle operators and pedestrian’s part is a significant contributing factor in many car-pedestrian crashes.[4] Of primary importance to the goals proposed by this research is to increase the pedestrian’s awareness to his or her environment and make them conscience of potential risks.

Based upon results from fundamental research over recent years, our research will focus on three safety issues:

1. Use passive and active detection to increase pedestrian attentiveness at signalized intersections.

2. Use passive and active guidance measures to help visually impaired pedestrians to stay in the designated crosswalk throughout the travel across a signalized intersection.

3. Use broadcast messages to assist pedestrians to move out of harm’s way in the event of an emergency preemption.

Tasks for 2011-2012

  1. Technology Development:
  2. Acoustic beaming - Studies have shown that additional audio cues can substantially improve the safety for visually impaired pedestrians by providing navigational beacons. The report by Barlow et. al. claims the following results. “Revisions to the audible beaconing features resulted in improved performance on four measures of wayfinding as compared to the pre-installation condition: beginning crossings within the crosswalk, ending crossings within the crosswalk, independence in finding the starting location, and independence in aligning to cross.”[5]

Present recommendations for the placement of pedestrian buttons at the street corners make it prohibitive to utilize common audio equipment needed for guidance beacons to locate the button and simultaneously provide navigational guidance to assist crossing the street. The conventional method of resolving this problem is to mount an external speaker at the corner of the street in the area of the pedestrian signal facing the direction of pedestrian travel as shown in Figure 1. There is added cost for installation and the weather proof enclosures

Figure 1. Remotely located pedestrian beaconing speaker.

There are many aspects of this design that can be improved upon to improve the performance by providing the desired navigational aid and yet minimize the cost of equipment installation. Embedding two directional speakers in the pedestrian button makes it capable of simultaneous multiple messages for different classes of users. There have been some suggestions that an audible countdown should be used to provide low vision pedestrians the same information available to sighted pedestrians.

1.Passive pedestrian detection - As reported in a 2001 Federal Highway Administration Report, automated pedestrian detection in conjunction with conventional push activated pedestrian buttons can provide a significant operational and safety benefit.[5] It is our contention that feedback to the pedestrian in the form of an audible voice message will further reduce the likelihood of inappropriate high risk crossings. One of the research outcomes will be to determine the appropriate mechanism, language and timing of this feedback to minimize distraction and maximize pedestrian attentiveness to traffic.

  1. Pedestrian preemption– As the AAPS is being installed by various agencies arounf the US, some agencies are asking for “preemption inputs”. Currently, the advanced pedestrian controller (APC), the part of the AAPS housed in the traffic controller, has an unspecified input that can be used as a preemption detector. Currently, the APC program ignores this input. This concept has been frequently discussed in our weekly Smart Signals meeting involving faculty, students, and engineers from Campbell Company. Discussions Econolite Controls, Inc. engineers in January at the 2011 TRB conclude that there is an input available to sense a signal from the APC. The questions that must be answered are:
  1. What is the source of the preemption input?
  2. What actions should the pedestrian take?
  3. What action should the AAPS tell to the pedestrian?
  4. How are the activities between the traffic controller and the AAPS coordinated?
  1. AAPS Integration: Each of the three research objectives listed in Part I have a unique development cycle.
  2. Acoustic beaming – Implementing this technology requires the following steps:
  1. Redesign the APB circuit board (UI)
  2. Redesign the APB enclosure (Campbell Company)
  3. Modify APB software
  4. Modify APC control software
  5. Modify the APC web interface HTML code
  6. Passive pedestrian detection - Implementing this technology requires the following steps:

1.Acquiring pedestrian video equipment

2.Modifying APB circuit board to interface with video detection hardware

3.Modify APB software

  1. Pedestrian preemption - Once the questions in Part 1.c have been addressed, revisions to the AAPS will most likely involve software modifications
  1. Testing: Each of the system modifications will be developed, integrated, and tested independently. This ensures that the success of failure of one component will not affect the success of another. Testing will involve extensive laboratory functional performance tests. This will be followed by field tests at the intersection of 6th and Deakin streets.
  1. Commercialization: Following the field tests, the engineering design will be turned over to Campbell under the present technology licensing agreement.
  1. Publish Results:Prepare and submit papers publishing methods and results.

Milestones:

  1. Technology design
  2. Architecture definition– October 31, 2011
  3. Hardware modifications – December 31, 2011
  4. APB Software modifications – February 28, 2012
  5. APC Software modifications – February 28, 2012
  6. AAPS integration – March 31, 2012
  7. Laboratory Testing – April 31, 2012
  8. Field Testing – June 30, 2012
  9. Commercialization – March 31, 2012
  10. Prepare and Publish Results – September 30, 3012.

Budget Summary:

Total funds requested: $??? and cost-share will be offered at approximately $???. Requested funds will be used for graduate student and faculty support, equipment, and travel. The cost-share will be provided by faculty time during the academic year and equipment donations.

Student Involvement:

  1. Graduate students: 2 Electrical or Computer Engineering for 12 months
  2. Undergraduate Students: 3 Electrical or Computer Engineering for 9 months
  3. NIATT interns: 2
  4. All students supporting this project will be supported.

Technology Transfer Activities:

Through the AAPS project, we have developed a close working relationship with Econolite Controls Inc. of Anaheim, CA and the Campbell Company of Boise ID. Both companies have participated in supporting the Smart Signals research for the past three years or longer. Based upon our experience transferring the AAPS technology to manufacturing and installation at beta test intersections in Minnesota, it is anticipated that this research can lead to a new device for manufacturing within the next two years. We also anticipate that two Master of Science degrees in Electrical or Computer Engineering will result from this research project. The results will be published in IEEE Transportation journals and/or presented at an annual meeting of TRB.

Potential Benefits of the Project:

The Smart Signals approach to traffic controls initiated in 2004 is an enabling technology that allows traffic engineers to consider new methods to meet challenges of traffic systems that are becoming ever more complex and critical in our daily lives. The most significant benefit is this project is the improved safetyfor pedestrian using the AAPS. The efforts focus on enhancements to a UI licensed technology that will improve its marketability.

Peer Review:

  • Lance Johnson - 3050 Lakeharbor Lane #126, Boise, ID 83703, Phone: 208-334-1843 FAX: 208-334-1691 Idaho. [email protected]
  • Paul Olson - 12300 West Dakota Avenue Suite 340, Lakewood, CO 80228, Ph: (720) 963-3239, Fax: (720) 963-3232,
  • Dave Gibson - Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE,Washington, DC 20590, Phone: 202-493-3271,
  • Jim Larsen, Congestion Mgmt. Supervisor, Ada County Highway District, Garden City, ID 83714, 208-387-6196,
  • Dr. Henry Liu, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engr. 500 Pillsbury Drive SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, 612-625-6347,

TRB Keywords:

Traffic signals, pedestrian safety, computer networks, traffic signal timing, APS, detection

REFERENCES:

[1] Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, “Report to theCity and County of San Francisco

Board of Supervisors”, January 2011, accessible at last accessed on March 1, 2011.

[2] NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF DRAFT PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES, last accessed on March 1, 2011

[3] Wall, R.W., J.F. Frenzel, and B.K. Johnson, “Commercialization and Field Distribution of Smart Pedestrian Call Signals, Final Report KLK715 N09-09”, June, 2010, last accessed on March 1, 2011

[4] Hedlund, J., “Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State Spotlight on Highway Safety, 2010 Preliminary Data”, Governors Highway Safety Association, 444 North Capitol Street | Suite 722, Washington, DC 20001

[5] Barlow, J.M., A.C. Scott, and B.L. Bentzen, “Audible Beaconing with Accessible Pedestrian Signals”, AER J. Author manuscript; available in PMC July 9, 2010, Published in final edited form as: AER J. 2009 Fall; 2(4): 149–158

[6] “Evaluation of Automated Pedestrian Detection at Signalized Intersections”, US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, Report No. FHWA-RD-00-097, August 2001, available at last access on March 1, 2011.

last accessed on March 1, 2011

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