Executive Summary Pedestrian signals:  Allow for a safer intersection crossing;  May or may not require activation through a push button;  In Ada County, indicate how much time is left in order to complete the street crossing;  Are generally mounted in line with the desired crossing direction. How Do "Pedestrian" Signals Work? Pedestrian signals allow a safer way for pedestrians to cross the street at signalized intersections. The pedestrian signal, when activated, provides time for the pedestrian to enter the street on the steady “WALK” and to finish crossing the street on the flashing “DON’T WALK” indication. In the Downtown (Boise) area, approximately 90 signalized locations operate in “pretimed” mode. At these intersections, the pedestrian indication is displayed for each phase, or movement, of the signal cycle without requiring a pedestrian to push a button to cross. It allows us to accommodate both vehicular and pedestrian traffic through the closely spaced signals in the downtown grid. At most intersections outside of downtown Boise, the pedestrian signal is normally activated by a pedestrian push button that instructs the signal controller to operate a timed sequence of steady "WALK" and flashing "DONT WALK" signals. Most signals outside of downtown operate under “actuated” conditions, which is more demand based, providing enough green time for each movement to provide the best possible operation for fluctuating traffic conditions. Pedestrians outside of downtown, with a few exceptions, tend to be less frequent. It may take a few seconds or, in the most extreme cases, a couple of minutes for a “WALK” display to be shown. Pedestrian signal indications consist of nationally recognized symbols displaying a person walking for “WALK" and a hand for "DON’T WALK". The "WALK" symbol is white while the “DON’T WALK” symbol is orange. “Walk” Indication The pedestrian signal sequence begins when the "WALK" signal is illuminated. This sequence is at least five seconds long and allows enough time for a pedestrian to leave the curb and begin crossing the street in the direction of the "WALK" indication before the pedestrian clearance interval (countdown indication) begins. At most intersections outside of Downtown Boise, in order to receive the "WALK" signal, the pedestrian push button must be pressed. When crossing an intersection with the "WALK" signal, pedestrians should still be mindful of potential conflicts with vehicles. Drivers may be making right or left turns across the crosswalk, and though they are required to yield to pedestrians while a “WALK” signal is displayed, a driver may not see the pedestrian in the crosswalk. “Flashing Don’t Walk” Indication The pedestrian clearance interval consists of a flashing “DON’T WALK” signal. The flashing “DON’T WALK” is accompanied by a series of countdown numbers that help a pedestrian determine how much time remains prior to the steady “DON’T WALK” signal. During this interval, pedestrians should complete their crossing. However, they should not begin crossing on the flashing "DON’T WALK" signal. The clearance interval is based on national standards that take into account the width of the street to be crossed. This distance is normally measured from the pedestrian ramp on the near side to the curb on the far side of the street. Steady “Don’t Walk” Indication The steady “DON’T WALK” hand signal means that a pedestrian should not enter or cross the street in the direction of the pedestrian signal. Again, for a pedestrian to receive the "WALK" signal, the pedestrian push button must be pressed at most locations outside of the Downtown Boise area. Pedestrian Signal Design Pedestrian signals are normally mounted at least seven (7) feet but less than ten (10) feet above the sidewalk. The pedestrian signal is in line of the pedestrians’ vision and the marked crosswalk. The pedestrian push button is usually found on the pole under or near the pedestrian signal head. A sign can be mounted above or in conjunction with the pedestrian push button explaining its purpose. The positioning of the push button, often with a sign, will often tell which crosswalk signal is activated by which push button if there are multiple directions to cross.