Under existing law, a pedestrian control signal showing a “WALK” or approved “Walking Person” symbol means a pedestrian may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal. Under existing law, a pedestrian facing a flashing “DON’T WALK” or “WAIT” or approved “Upraised Hand” symbol with a “countdown” signal, as specified, means a pedestrian may start crossing the roadway in the direction of the signal but requires the pedestrian to finish crossing prior to the display of the steady “DON’T WALK” or “WAIT” or approved “Upraised Hand” symbol, as specified.

Existing law defines a traffic-actuated signal as an official traffic signal, as specified, that displays one or more of its indications in response to traffic detected by mechanical, visual, electrical, or other means. Upon the first placement or replacement of a traffic-actuated signal, as specified, existing law requires the traffic-actuated signal to be installed and maintained to detect bicycle or motorcycle traffic on the roadway.

This bill would require a traffic-actuated signal to be installed and maintained to have a leading pedestrian interval, and to include the installation, activation, and maintenance of an accessible pedestrian signal and detector, upon the first placement or replacement of a state-owned or operated traffic-actuated signal. The bill would also require an existing state-owned or operated traffic-actuated signal capable of being implemented with remote installation or in-person programming to be programmed with a leading pedestrian interval when maintenance work is done on the intersection in which the traffic-actuated signal is located, if the signal is in a residential, business, or business activity district, a safety corridor, a school zone, or an area with a high concentration of pedestrians and cyclists, as specified. These requirements would not apply when prohibited by the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The bill would, for these purposes, define a “leading pedestrian interval” as an official traffic control signal that advances the “WALK” signal for 3 to 7 seconds while the red signal halting traffic continues to be displayed on parallel through or turning traffic, and define “accessible pedestrian signal and detector” as an integrated device that communicates information about the “WALK” and “DON’T WALK” intervals at signalized intersections in nonvisual formats, including audible tones, speech messages, and vibrotactile surfaces, to pedestrians who are blind or have low vision.