BEHAVIORAL EVALUATION OF PEDESTRIANS AND MOTORISTS TOWARDS PEDESTRIAN COUNTDOWN SIGNALS

The purpose of this study is to evaluate pedestrian and motorist behavior towards the addition of countdown signal to conventional pedestrian signal heads, determine its benefits and evaluate if any potential safety hazard exists. This new device was developed with the intent to enhance the effectiveness of pedestrian signals to help clear the crosswalk before the signals change. The addition of countdown signals to the conventional "Hand/Man" or "Walk/Don't Walk" pedestrian heads is rapidly gaining interest throughout the United States. At the last ITE annual conference in Toronto, Canada, this new device was exhibited by five manufactures and was the subject of the conference.