NEW "YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS" DEVICES IN NEW YORK, USA

In February 1996, a new administration took office in New York State and established the Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Task Force to develop a new "yield to pedestrians" sign. Using existing traffic safety products as a model, the New York State Department of Transportation engineers developed detailed specifications for a new Supplementary Pedestrian Crossing Channelization Device (SPCCD) that could be placed in a crosswalk. Each device, made of traffic-cone rubber and fitted with a safety orange retroflective fabric "jacket" bearing the state law message, costs approximately $150. The new SPCCDs are being field tested throughout New York as part of a U.S. DOT federal research program.