Nevertheless, city officials hope the increased safety the new cross signals provide will justify the costs. Men were struck and killed twice as often as women, and children under age 10 and the elderly made up almost one-third of all fatalities. One of the new devices, countdown signals, give pedestrians, including seniors, enough time to cross the street. Officials in Trenton, N.J., installed such a signal adjacent to a senior citizens complex. When the light turns red to stop oncoming traffic, the pedestrian signal immediately starts counting down the seconds, from 27 seconds.
Seniors have enough time to reach the median dividing the four-lane highway.
Once at the median, they can press a button to get another 27 seconds to cross the second intersection. Though simple, the device has proven effective in studies, Jordan said. Audio cues Some cities are adding audio cues to their existing pedestrian signals to help the visually impaired. In Philadelphia, for instance, a loud bell alerts pedestrians that it's safe to cross. The most obvious drawback, of course, is that the bell is loud, Trainor said.