Far-Side Audible Beaconing of Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Is It Confusing?

Research has demonstrated that accessible pedestrian signals (APS) with push button-integrated speakers increase push-button use and increase the likelihood of starting to cross during the walk interval by pedestrians who are blind. However, consistently positive effects on locating the crosswalk or establishing or maintaining an accurate heading for crossing have not been found. Attempts have recently been made to configure APS to provide better audible information for these wayfinding tasks. A configuration that has been shown to improve heading accuracy provides audible tones from a speaker at the destination corner before the walk interval (to assist with establishing heading) and during the flashing "Don't Walk" interval (to assist with maintaining heading). Major concerns are that beaconing information may be ambiguous or misleading and result in dangerous crossing behavior at intersections where buildings create echoes of audible signal information and where beacons for multiple crosswalks might be...