Design Guide for Accessible Public Rights

Guidance Material on Accessible Public Rights-of-Way

The Board has developed information on accessible public rights-of-way that is now available on its web site. This
information is being made available as a source of guidance until guidelines for accessible public rights-of-way are
developed. This information includes:

Accessible Rights-of-Way: A Design Guide

The Board developed this guide in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration in order to provide
advisory information until guidelines for public rights-of-way are developed. The 148-page guide shows how
existing ADA standards for pedestrian routes on sites can be adapted for application to sidewalks and street
crossings. It provides best practices recommendations, along with the rationale behind them, for the design,
construction, alteration, and retrofit of public pedestrian facilities.

Detectable Warnings: Synthesis of U.S. and International Practice

Last May, the Board completed a study on detectable warnings that surveys the state-of-the-art in the U.S. and
abroad and summarizes the installation and effectiveness of various designs. These warnings provide tactile cues
at intersections, drop-offs, and other potential hazards to people with vision impairments. This study was
conducted by Accessible Design for the Blind under a contract with the Board. The results are provided in this 150-
page report, which was developed to provide guidance to transportation engineers, planners, and others involved
in the design of public rights-of-way. The report includes information on the need for warning surfaces in public
rights-of-ways, a review of research, guidelines, and standards on detectable warnings, the use of detectable
warnings in the U.S. and abroad with illustrative case studies, product manufacturers, and recommendations.

Related information on detectable warnings is also available from Accessible Design for the Blind.

Interfacing Audible Pedestrian Signals and Traffic Signal Controllers

New technologies are available that enable audible signals to be incorporated into standard pedestrian signal
systems. These products have improvements over older technologies, such as voice features and signals that
automatically adjust to the ambient noise level. However, there has been confusion over their installation criteria
and compatibility with existing signal controllers. Their installation involves important considerations concerning
sound adjustment and wiring, among others. This report provides guidance on available audible pedestrian signal
products and the interface with traffic signal controllers. It includes detailed descriptions of available technologies
and current and upcoming traffic controllers in the U.S., wiring and power requirements, and lessons learned from
existing installations.

Accessible Pedestrian Signals [NCHRP project publication posted at www.walkinginfo.org]

A new synthesis of accessible pedestrian signal technologies, including a current list of manufacturers, has recently
been completed as part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 3-62, Guidelines
for Accessible Pedestrian Signals, which is being carried out by the Transportation Research Board. This new
publication replaces a synthesis published by the Access Board in 1998.

Related information on accessible pedestrian signals is also available from Accessible Design for the Blind.

Pedestrian Access to Modern Roundabouts

This technical bulletin provides guidance on access to roundabouts for pedestrians with visual impairments. This
guidance is based on research sponsored in part by the Board at the Department of Blind Rehabilitation at
Western Michigan University. The research assessed access issues in-depth and provided recommendations for
design improvements that benefit people with vision impairments. These recommendations address the location of
crosswalks, roadway design, use of traffic signals, provision of detectable warnings, and other topics.

Public Rights-of-Way | Home

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