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110 ~ CiTY OF SAN LEANDRO BiCYCLE & PEDESTRiAN MASTER PLAN <br />A-4 UPDATE SIGNALS WITHIN CITY TO MEET ACCESSIBLE <br />PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL GUIDELINES <br />Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) are pedestrian activated signals that <br />communicate information about pedestrian timing in a non-visual format <br />and are spatially designed to be utilized by pedestrians with mobility and <br />visual limitations. Accessible pedestrian signals help pedestrians with vision <br />impairments to navigate an intersection by audibly indicating the WALK <br />interval of the signal phase, and by guiding a pedestrian across the street with <br />a constant audible destination message. The City has installed a number of <br />accessible pedestrian signals at various locations throughout the City. <br />Currently, the CA MUTCD does not require accessible pedestrian signals at <br />all signalized locations. They recommend that the installation of pedestrian <br />accessible signals should be based upon an engineering study that takes into <br />account potential demand, citizen’s requests for accessible pedestrian signals, <br />traffic volumes, and the complexity of intersection geometry and traffic signal <br />phasing. The CA MUTCD also recommends that local organizations, providing <br />support services to pedestrians who have visual and/or hearing disabilities, <br />can offer valuable input on the need for accessible pedestrian signals. <br />The San Leandro Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Guidelines (2007) outline <br />design guidelines for the use of accessible pedestrian signals. Currently, the <br />majority of the signals within the City do not fully meet these accessibility <br />guidelines. Standard City policy is that all new signals designed and built <br />within the City will meet these guidelines. Retrofitting existing signals to meet <br />accessible pedestrian signal guidelines will require significant construction <br />and engineering in many locations. The location of new accessible pedestrian <br />upgrades to existing signals is currently based upon citizen request with the <br />services of an Orientation and Mobility Specialist to evaluate intersections <br />and recommend improvements. To make the most use of available resources <br />and to target the locations in most need of retrofit, the City should continue to An ADA compliant pedestrian push button along Hesperian Boulevard. <br />As part of the ADA Transition Plan, a survey of the intersections throughout <br />the City was performed to evaluate the status of curb ramps based upon the <br />ADA Accessibility Guidelines. Currently, the City requires all new development <br />to meet ADA standards, and has an annual budget of $50,000 to bring existing <br />ramps up to ADA standards; these are prioritized on a request basis or when <br />roads are rehabilitated or improved by 25%. <br />in 2017, the City conducted a two-phase curb ramp assessment in two parts <br />of the City. Phase one was in the downtown area and phase two was in the <br />Manor neighborhood. The findings from these assessments will be used to <br />guide the City’s aforementioned budget to make improvements in these areas <br />and throughout the City. San Leandro should plan future assessment phases <br />to study the remaining areas of the City. <br />248