Participant Surveys Following Field Testing Were Used to Evaluate Safety and User Perceptions for the New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot Mobile Accessible Pedestrian Signal System Application.
New York City, New York, United States
Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 3, Mobile Accessible Pedestrian Signal System (PED-SIG) – New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT)
Summary Information
New York City’s Connected Vehicle (CV) technology pilot deployment aimed to support the city’s Vision Zero initiative and help eliminate injuries and fatalities caused by crashes. One component, the Mobile Accessible Pedestrian Signal System (PED-SIG) application, provides audio alerts and haptic prompts to assist pedestrians with vision disabilities in safely crossing streets at instrumented intersections. Researchers identified four signalized intersections instrumented with CV technologies and designed six routes to test the PED-SIG application in New York City. A total of 24 volunteer participants with vision disabilities were recruited for field tests conducted from October 29, 2021 to November 18, 2021. Participants were given Personal Information Devices (PIDs), which use cellular communications to receive localized Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) status and MAP (intersection geometrics) messages broadcast by Roadside Units (RSUs). A prototype location augmentation device which can be connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth was also added to provide improved accuracy for PED-SIG.
Methodology
The PED-SIG application was evaluated based on operational data logs collected from the PIDs, field test observations, as well as qualitative feedback provided by participants before and after the tests. Approximately 170 runs, each made up of two crosswalk crossings, were completed by the volunteer participants during the field tests.
Findings
- Participant surveys conducted following the field tests revealed that 83 percent of participants felt much safer or slightly safer when using the PED-SIG application, compared to not using it.
- Seventy-one percent of the participants agreed that they felt more confident in their ability to cross a signalized intersection with the PED-SIG application than with other assistive technologies they have used before.
- Most of the participants (96 percent) felt that they were given sufficient time to cross the intersection, and 63 percent of them felt that they stayed oriented on the crosswalk when using the PED-SIG application.
- All participants agreed that the PED-SIG application provided sufficient information through audio to assist in their intersection crossing. However, the perception of the vibration function was mixed, with about 13 percent of the participants responding that vibration information was not sufficient and 46 percent of the participants stating that they did not know or notice the haptic feedback.
- Approximately 80 percent of the participants received timely alerts and information from the application either always or most of the time. However, this rate dropped to 71 percent when the participants were asked if the alerts given were accurate.
- All participants agreed that the information provided by the PED-SIG application was helpful, with 67 percent strongly agreeing.
