City to Fast-Track Installation of Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The New York City Council has approved a bill that will increase to 75 per year the installation of traffic signals designed to assist the visually-impaired.

The bill's sponsor, Mark Levine, said the initiative will help support Mayor de Blasio's Vision Zero plan to reduce pedestrian fatalities.

"It allows the Department of Transportation to prioritize intersections, particularly when they're already installing new signals, and in places where they have lead pedestrian intervals or right turn lanes that make it even more difficult for people without vision to cross," he said.

Levine said the Accessible Pedestrian Signals, which exist at just 96 of the city's more than 12,000 intersections, emit tones and spoken words to assist pedestrians. He said the Department of Transportation has committed nearly $2 million to the effort. The city currently installs 25 of these traffic signals a year.