Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:29 And good evening. Thank you for joining disability and progress, where we bring you insights into ideas about and discussions on disability topics. Good evening, everybody. It is good to be back from my two weeks of hiatus. Charlene doll is my research assistant. Thank you, Charlene, a woman, I guess she likes research woman. Thanks for listening everybody. I'm a little bit off. I'm sorry. You know, I'm just staying up for two weeks all night. So tonight we have Matt baker in the with us. Hello, Matt. Good evening. Hi, Matt is from Polara and we will be discussing, uh, audible traffic signals. So Matt, do you like the word audible traffic light or audible traffic signal?
Speaker 2 00:01:21 Um, we, the correct name is actually accessible pedestrian signals.
Speaker 1 00:01:29 Ah, so I think accessible, accessible
Speaker 2 00:01:35 Pedestrian signals.
Speaker 1 00:01:36 Ah, don't expect me to do that word change in here, but I'll do my best. All right, well, thank you very much for joining us. We really appreciate that. Um, can you just give us a little bit of history about how, what your role is in Polera and how you got involved in doing something like this?
Speaker 2 00:01:56 Sure. Um, the traffic industry is a pretty unique industry. We pretty much are involved with anything that goes at the intersections and street crossings. And I, uh, have been involved with Clara for eight and a half years. And for the last 21 years, Laura has been involved in making accessible pedestrian signals, which are essentially devices at the cross-walk that provide information about the walk and don't walk signals, um, in non visual formats to pedestrians who are blind or who have low vision. All
Speaker 1 00:02:36 Right. So we'll, we'll, we'll expand more on that, but, um, so they've been here for 21 years. You're saying they've been doing that. Yeah. Okay. Um, can you give us, uh, a little bit of history? Like how, about how audible the, the traffic signals, um, accessible pedestrian signals changed because they started out, I mean, what was the first one's like
Speaker 2 00:03:06 First ones were a simple little box that vibrated when the wall came on. Um, and now they've, um, grown with technology over the years to have an ambient microphone that senses the ambient traffic sound and then has, uh, uh, plays a locator tone that basically every one second, um, emanates from the unit to let the visually impaired know that there's equipment there for them at the crossing. Then it's a, go ahead.
Speaker 1 00:03:43 When was the first one done? Like what, how far back?
Speaker 2 00:03:48 1997, I believe, or 1998 actually.
Speaker 1 00:03:52 Ah, okay. Okay. And presumably it didn't did it talk or was it just not at that time? So let's talk about, um, kind of how that works then. How, how does it work? You were talking about that. It has, um, well it has several components to it, right?
Speaker 2 00:04:17 Yeah. Yes. So essentially it has a speaker and the microphone and a Vibra tactile button. And so the first thing that someone will hear is what's called a locate tone, which is a beep that plays every second. And it's supposed to be able to hear it from six to 12 feet. From that button across the street, the person or pedestrian will then find the button on the pole. And with their hand, they will feel a raised, tactile arrow. And that is on the push button that tactile arrow is there to help them have alignment into the direction of the cross-walk. And when they press that on the button, they will hear the word weight. And if they hold down the button for more than a second, the unit can be programmed to announce the name of the street they're crossing and also the direction of travel. So for example, it might say, wait across Broadway at grand traveling Northeast. And so it helps them with location information. So where does, where does, huh?
Speaker 1 00:05:40 Where does the, um, so I know it vibrates too for like
Speaker 2 00:05:45 That. Yeah. Right. So when the walk signal comes on, there's two cues that are given there is the vibrating button and there is an audible and in the audible, there's two sounds. There's either a speech message. For example, it might say Broadway walk sign is on the cross Broadway, or it may do a rapid because it sounds, um, there's regulations that govern when a speech message should be played versus the rapid because of sound really, basically it is, if there are 10 feet of pot at a crossing between two buttons, then they play the rapid Pitocin sound. But if there's for example, two on a pole, because you were like in a downtown area, like New York city where they've got old infrastructure, then the buttons will pay that speech message so that you can get told in the audible what your location is and make sure you're at the right button for the phone.
Speaker 1 00:06:52 I'm going to pause you there. So I have to admit to you, I can't stand that rapid percussion sounds odd to me talk to about what the benefit is to having that as why wouldn't you just announce the street anyway and which way you're traveling. Because to me that would be beneficial. Any, any time you were crying.
Speaker 2 00:07:13 And I agree with you and we'd get a lot of that feedback. Some people call that sound the rapid fire. So you may remember that years ago, the audibles used to be a cookoo and chirp sound and, um, they had problems with,
Speaker 1 00:07:30 He can tell my opinion on that one too.
Speaker 2 00:07:32 Yeah. People thought they were hearing the chirping sound and we're going across. And it was for example, a bird imitating that sound. So the governing regulators did some research into speech and into rapid because it sounds they wanted to come up with a sound that couldn't be replicated by or imitated by nature. So they did a test with a group of visually impaired pedestrians and they found that the rapid percussive sound was actually heard about a half second, faster than a speech message. Now this was done many years ago when the speech messages or the quality of the audio, wasn't that good. So that's why they defaulted to that rapid because of tone. And then the speech message, you know, for the less than 10 feet separation, but you're right. Most people seem to like the speech message and many agencies are defaulting to that.
Speaker 1 00:08:31 So can you switch the rapper percussion to the speech message if you so choose to, or is it a regulated thing that it's a given that it's going to do that,
Speaker 2 00:08:42 Uh, or you can switch? We have, uh, give an example, Austin, Texas. They had, um, war veterans that were traumatized by the gravity.
Speaker 1 00:08:52 Well, listen, it traumatizes me just hearing it. I was, yeah.
Speaker 2 00:08:57 So Austin decided their health was more important. And so they just said, we're going to use the speech message throughout the whole city. So there's many agencies that are adopting that policy now.
Speaker 1 00:09:10 So if, and can you switch the, do you have to do anything like role, um, extensive to fix that? Or can you go and like flip a switch inside there and do it?
Speaker 2 00:09:23 Yeah. Um, with us, with our new buttons, we have Bluetooth. So the traffic agency conditions an iPhone or an Android, and actually turn the sound from the rapid because they have to a speech message, upload a specific space message for that crossing. Um, so really if you want those changes, it's something you have to, uh, approach the traffic department about it. I
Speaker 1 00:09:50 See. Yes. That's interesting because, so it can be done. It can be done. There's a place that we have in Minnesota that, um, that has that rapid sound. I can't stand it. I think it's annoying. It's distracting. I don't like it at all. It doesn't give me any information of, you know, it might give you information and went across, but it doesn't tell you what you're crossing. And theoretically, if I'm walking, I probably know, but there are people who are new bees and they won't know. So, um, that's interesting. So can you talk a little bit about, I guess the, the idea that these have changed, um, now they're running with Bluetooth and so you can make them, you can, you can kind of operate them with a phone. Correct. Does this, does this, um, go on like, can we do anything? Not that I'd want to, because personally I think people have too much stuff with their phones anyway, and their phones should, in my opinion, of course, but it's my show. So I'm going to give it anyway. Um, their phones should be in their pocket and they should be listening to their traffic and listening to the street crossings. Now having said that I am very pro you know, audible signals. I think they're good for a lot of things, but I also think that people need to know their traffic and listen to that. But can people, is there anything with a person's phone that interacts with the, with the traffic signal?
Speaker 2 00:11:30 Yeah. So that's a great question right now we have the program just for the traffic agencies, but we are finishing a prototype pedestrian smartphone app that will allow pedestrian to locate the button via Bluetooth and be able to actuate the button, meaning turn it off on via their phone. And, and really in mind, that's for people that maybe have mobility challenges, trying to reach the button, maybe someone in a wheelchair where the button is not in the optimum position, and then they can use their phone to turn the button on and then get crossing information as they crossing. Like if they want to turn on an audible countdown. Yes.
Speaker 1 00:12:13 So we'll get to that in a minute. But I mean, I, that the phone things worries me a little because I really think people are, we all, we have a lot of problem with distracted driving, right. Then that's the phone. And I think it goes both ways that we get distracted people with mobility, stuff that are playing on their phone and traffic. And it does concern me. Um, presumably you've done some research on this and
Speaker 2 00:12:44 Sure this will be a supplement, right. We're never going to take away the physical device and we can't ever expect everyone to have a phone. So this is honestly just the supplement, um, that people can choose if they want to use it.
Speaker 1 00:12:57 Okay. Can you talk about how an audible traffic light will work and how does it coordinate with the actual traffic light?
Speaker 2 00:13:10 Sure. So at every intersection, there's, um, a cabinet that houses a computer code, a controller that runs the traffic light and that controller sends out, um, the signals to the pedestrian signal heads, you know, the visual formats. So Al button is wired into that to receive that same, um, pedestrian Annabelle information timing. So when the visual is in don't walk and someone presses out button out button knows to say, wait, because it's in, don't walk. And then when the button receives the walk information from the computer, the controller, just like the visual signal, then we will activate the vibrating button and the audible walk indication.
Speaker 1 00:14:06 So I guess my question is, um, how do they ever get off? Is there a, is there a, can there be an error of margin of error?
Speaker 2 00:14:21 Um, no, honestly, they're, they're wide into the exact same. I mean, they'd have to be an error from the control. Uh, pretty much to facilitate that we, uh, they're very reliable. Um, if, if Al button has a fault or, or, or breaks, or is malfunctioning, it will go quiet so that it's not going to give a false indication. So that way, um, nobody's getting false information. So that's our failure mode. And, and then in that mode, we also will put in a, what's called a call to the controller to continue to allow pedestrians to cross until the button gets fixed. Meaning it's not going to stop the visual walk indications, but our button will be quiet and have no sound or vibration until the problem is fixed.
Speaker 1 00:15:22 Probably a wise move and how to have that act. Um, and, and that, so if somebody does go in incorrectly, um, they're just going against the light. It's not that the light is error has an error,
Speaker 2 00:15:42 Right? A lot of redundancy built into that system because obviously that's very critical. It's the same with the red and green says there's checks and balances to make sure that there's not greens on opposite approaches. And it's the same way with the pedestrian signals.
Speaker 1 00:16:02 So our, our, uh, local traffic, uh, like, um, maintenance people, are they the ones who fix that or do they have to call you guys?
Speaker 2 00:16:14 Um, no, they're the ones that typically fix it. And then if there's a problem with our equipment, then they can send it into us for repair, but we, we have a tech support hotline where they can call and we can help troubleshoot.
Speaker 1 00:16:28 So are there other sounds besides that, besides that awful rapids, are there other sounds that you choose to use with the, um, you know, pedestrian signals or we talked a little bit about the countdown. I'd like to talk about that because that's an interesting feature. Um, my understanding of the feature is that it coordinates with the changing of the visual light. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 00:17:00 Yes. And just, just to make it clear, the audible countdown is not actually supported by the governing traffic agency. Why not? So when, when we have our buttons sent out to the traffic agencies, it actually reverts back to that locate tone, which is placed at allowed of volumes so that it can guide people across the street to the other button. So to turn on the audible countdown, it actually requires a traffic agency to make that decision and to turn that feature on. And mostly people are turning that feature on because visually impaired people have asked for it. Yes,
Speaker 1 00:17:48 I will. I an interesting conversation the other day with a mobility instructor and she really didn't like it because she felt like people rush, they rush in the street, they get nervous, you know, it starts at what does it start at? 16, 15, something like that. Where does it start in the countdown?
Speaker 2 00:18:09 Well, it depends on the length of the Strait. And I don't know if they're aware, but the timing of a crossing is dependent on the, the width of the crossing from the button to the other curb side. And it's three and a half feet per second, that of timing that they allow for that. So it's always measured no matter what. And, um, then we work with that. Now there is an option for agency's computer to receive a button, push, to code an extended push that is requesting more crossing time and the aid and see could then actually extend the crossing time for people that need it.
Speaker 1 00:18:55 So as a user, I will tell you that I like the feature of the countdown for several reasons. And first of all, my response to her was, well, what are people doing going with 10 seconds? Anyway, they, nobody should be crossing a street, you know, with so little time like, hello, that's your good gauge of the time you have allotted left on that light? Secondly, for me, I want the same information as a sighted person has. So if you can see that that light is changing, I want to know that I don't want to be surprised. I want to know, okay, hello, I've chosen to start across the street when it says 16 or 15. And then I know I have that much time to get to the other side, no surprises, unless somebody is going illegally on the light. So anyway, that's, that's my personal feelings on that.
Speaker 1 00:19:51 I really do value the countdown and I'm, you know, I noticed that sometimes the countdowns get turned off and I get concerned about not no consistency. And that then when people do hear the countdowns, they freak, because they're not used to that. Where is I think if they always did that, that would just become the norm. Well, especially in an unfamiliar place, if you get 20 seconds, because then, you know, oh, this is a wide crossing. Okay. I, that's not something I would necessarily know in a new place. So that information is kind of valuable.
Speaker 2 00:20:33 Yes. I think, you know, the studies that were against the audible countdown were just some of the things that have been shared. One is it gets stressful for somebody because they think they, uh, need to, when they really don't need to, if they stop crossing at the start of the walk cycle. Right. And then another thing was about people that maybe didn't hear it very well over the traffic and got a little confused. Um, so those were some of the research factors that made the governing agency say, you know, this is not yet supported.
Speaker 1 00:21:11 So mobility instructor would tell you if you didn't catch it, wait for the next cycle. So anyway, well, if we'll put that in your list of things that you have two supporters over here that, that would, that want the countdown, I actually think there's a lot more people who do
Speaker 2 00:21:31 No. You're right. There's a lot of people that do want it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:21:34 We want to be on the same playing ground in order to do that. We have to have the same information that everyone else has. Yeah. Um, so talk a little bit about, I do realize that you're not the only company that does auto, you know, accessible pedestrian signals there. I think I finally got it. Um, can you talk a little bit about the difference between other ones and you guys?
Speaker 2 00:22:01 Sure. I mean, we, uh, probably have about 75% of the old market. So we, we are the largest. Um, we, up until recently were the only ones that had Bluetooth capability. One of the, uh, competitors is claiming it, but they haven't, um, put it out yet, but, um, we have distributors all over the country that really work hard with not only the traffic agencies, but try to regularly meet with ADA coordinators. Um, I just today was, uh, coordinating the shows that we're going to support and we're supporting the blind veterans association, the American council of the blind this year. Um, we typically go to the AER conferences. And so we're the only ones that get that involved. Um, we're involved with the lighthouse for the blind. We're actually gonna do a video with them in San Francisco, um, of a visually impaired person using the equipment in San Francisco to cross the street. Um, so we, that's probably the difference is just a level of involvement, research and education.
Speaker 1 00:23:17 So can you talk a little bit about, even for you guys, you know, you've been doing this for a while, surely that some of your older traffic signals have different sounds, different ways that it works. How do you give people a hand on keeping them updated? Because if somebody is used to these, these pretty nice ones, now that work really nifty and can think of, you know, do really good things of what the person wants and then they go to something that's just more sound wise and doesn't talk as much that can throw them
Speaker 2 00:24:00 Good question. We've had the same basic features now for about 15 years. So some of our oldest buttons, for example, or in, um, the Las Vegas Nevada area and actually Minneapolis St. Paul has some of our old ones too. And from about 15 years ago, they've still work the same way, meaning they've had the speech message availability and also the rapid because Townsville, cookoo and chirp, once it got changed. So there hasn't been a whole lot of difference in the basic operation. We've just added more features and programming. So, and, you know, lighter and more robust units, especially for, you know, inclement weather areas.
Speaker 1 00:24:49 He's going to ask you how they hold up with inclement weather sometimes I'll see like broken buttons. Yes.
Speaker 2 00:24:58 So the challenge is, if you think about it, Al button has electronics in it that has a speaker, a microphone, and that's kind of the most exposed thing at a traffic intersection, right? How many speakers are out in the weather 24 hours a day? So that is a challenge in places like Minnesota and Toronto, where you have extreme shifts in temperature and, and humidity and all those elements that really impact speakers. So we've learned a lot and improved the sound and the quality of the speakers to help protect against that. But honestly, that is a challenge, right? Trying to have something sitting out on a pole in the weather 24 hours a day.
Speaker 1 00:25:44 So with the, I'm going to go back to this countdown thing, because it's something I really feel is, is very valuable. And I think also misunderstood. Um, so if people are turning it off, how do we get it turned on?
Speaker 2 00:26:02 So you just have to petition the traffic agency and then they can just go and essentially flip a feature on, in the app or in the program. And it'll automatically switch to the countdown. Oh, so
Speaker 1 00:26:16 It's not major brain surgery, but no, not at all. They have to make that decision that they're willing to do it. So I'm going to go back to this. How, how difficult are they at being willing to do that? I mean, is it, does it take a couple people to ask, does it take a group of 30 people to ask?
Speaker 2 00:26:37 Um, we, uh, we try to work with, you know, each city or typically we'll have what they call an ADA coordinator. And I think that's a good avenue for you guys to try is to broach it through them and say, you know, there's a consensus that we would like the audible countdown and, um, they could approach the traffic agency and basically say, you know, we've been requested and we agree that, uh, this is going to provide us the same information that guided pedestrians get. And we would like that information and they can decide to turn it on. And a lot of times they do their best to help. And I don't see too many agencies get that rigid where they just flat out and say, no, it's non-compliant because they, they, this equipment is out there for the visually impaired. Right. So I think they do really try to accommodate requests.
Speaker 1 00:27:43 I want to talk a little bit about you touched on agencies. Um, so I think even now there's a little bit of opposition, but certainly when they first came out, there was quite a bit of a riff between, uh, certain agencies that did want them. And some that didn't want them. Can you talk a little bit about why they didn't want them,
Speaker 2 00:28:09 You're talking about traffic agencies or like the national Federation of the blind? Yes.
Speaker 1 00:28:18 Did they, did they ever approach you and say why we don't want these?
Speaker 2 00:28:24 Sure. So honestly we work very well with the American council of the blind, the national Federation of the blind. Um, my understanding is they're made up of more of people that have had little or no vision since they were born and have learned to become very independent. And so I think the prevailing attitude for Dow equipment is that we are independent and we don't need it versus members of the American council of the blind, maybe people that have lost vision over time and had vision at one point and really do rely on equipment to help facilitate their daily activities, especially navigating the streets. So we really just, um, do our best, but, um, definitely have a lot more support from the American council of the blind.
Speaker 1 00:29:20 Yeah. And I do want to make sure that it's, I do know people who have are ACB and they have not never seen, but I, I guess I would see it more as, you know, arguing towards the argument of let's have the same things that people who can see have, if you can see when the light is turning, I want to know too. Yes, it's true. The traffic will tell you, but when on a very windy day, you may not hear it very well. If there's no traffic there, you won't know what color that light is. So to me, it's, it's a playing ground thing. Right. You have the same things that they have. So that's, uh, you know, I guess I like that idea of having the same tools in the toolbox. Um, so you talked a little bit about being able to press the light, the button for two seconds or whatever it was and turn on other information. Is there any other information that turns on besides directional change and things like that? Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:30:28 With what's called the extended push. So anything over a second can turn on a whole lot of features, it can increase the volumes, it can play extra messages. For example, if there's kind of a weird crossing, like maybe a, what they call a dog lag, or it's kind of skewed, we can actually provide more board information on the layout of that crossing. Oh.
Speaker 1 00:30:56 So can you give me an example?
Speaker 2 00:30:59 Um, so say it is in New York city, you crossing into a medium, that's actually a park that has 400 feet of park before you get to the next crossing to the other side of that. A big street. Okay. So we could say, um, there is, uh, a 400 foot stretch of park. You need to continue on to the next button to cross the other lane or the other side of this roadway.
Speaker 1 00:31:33 And how does it sense where you are? Is it, does it actually sense where you are in order to when it gives you that information or is it just spewing it out?
Speaker 2 00:31:44 Yeah, it's basically programmed in there by the agency based on the layout of that crop. And so when someone pushes that extended push, that's the only time it's going to play and it'll play at each button.
Speaker 1 00:32:01 I see. So the next person who happens to be at that next button will hear it. Yeah. When I remember there are some traffic lights that, like you said, um, you hear the traffic light turn on, but you don't necessarily hear the beep when you're crossing the street till you get closer to that next pole. And to me, it's, it's very valuable to hear that as your, as a locator tone, almost, especially in streets that are not straight or have other come streets coming into them. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Speaker 2 00:32:44 Sure. So you've got some options. I mean, it's always a balancing act, right? Because we get told if we get too loud, people that are also listening for traffic, that could be distracting. Um, so there is a thing called beaconing where we can actually put on a, maybe a 70 foot or longer crossing or a very loud area. We can put an external speaker up above on the pole that will also play the locate time as an increased volume. So there is things that we can do. You can definitely turn up based on ambient sound, that locate tone and the clearance sounds. So when it's in, don't walk and then we also can do an external speaker to add, increase the volume and directionality help. Cool.
Speaker 1 00:33:39 Can you talk about cost? I think sometimes that is a factor, um, regardless of what may or may not be, um, you know, if the ADA has stuff in there, um, I know sometimes cities Bock a little bit about putting in a traffic on an accessible pedestrian signal. So talk a little bit about the cost.
Speaker 2 00:34:05 Sure. So let me give you a fun fact that a lot of people don't know if someone's, if an agency is putting in a complete new traffic light intersection, it costs about 250 to $350,000. If that system's already in and they just want to upgrade by putting the accessible pedestrian buttons, it, it costs about $5,000 to put in eight buttons, which is the typical, you know, four way intersection. So this would be, yes. So if you're retrofitting, a lot of agencies will say $5,000 is a lot of costs, but if you're putting in a whole new intersection, 5,000 out of 350, it's not much right.
Speaker 1 00:34:54 Certainly cheaper to retrofit. Uh, so what, what is the big deal? Sometimes I feel like they make a big deal about it.
Speaker 2 00:35:03 Sure. I mean, everyone's on pipe budgets. And the challenge honestly, is that the U S access board has yet to be able to release their final ruling or the pro ag public rights of way guide, which is supposed to require these at, um, any intersections that are upgraded or new intersections. And so traffic agencies don't have that tape or requirement formally yet to do it. So many of them are because of the costs and they only put these things on request and some agencies will put them in under a program where they work with the ADA committees of the local area and map out routes and say, this is the priority of when we have money. We're going to put them in, you know, in these areas. So there's a lot of things in flux right now because the access board hasn't been able to, uh, release their final ruling. And, you know, unfortunately now it's a political thing because with the government to regulation requirement, that you have to get rid of two regulations to do a new one. When I talked to the access for it, I'm very familiar with them. They tell me, um, we can't get rid of any regulations, right? There's all very important. So they're stuck, they've done their research. Um, they've written up their requirements and now they're just waiting because they can't put this new regulation out.
Speaker 1 00:36:40 This sounds like a lose lose thing.
Speaker 2 00:36:44 It's very tough if, if we had some lobbying, um, power behind ACB and the blinded veterans and the AAR and, and just the visually impaired community in general, um, it would be great that we could have someone in Congress say this is important and this regulation needs to be passed. But unfortunately the access board by themselves, they're a very small agency. And so they really just don't have any lobbying power to try to get someone to say, Hey, this is important. This isn't one of those regulations that isn't needed. Right. It's very important. Hmm.
Speaker 1 00:37:27 It's sounds very wrong to me, but what is the lifespan of one of these traffic signals?
Speaker 2 00:37:37 So, as I mentioned, um, we've had some that are still operating in the Las Vegas area of 15, 16 years. Um, the warranty on them is three years, but you know, the expected life, I would say 10 years is a, is a good expected life before you want to upgrade them to the next generation of technology.
Speaker 1 00:38:00 You talk about the cost of placing in an accessible pedestrian signal in as opposed to retrofitting. Why wouldn't it just be, I guess I don't understand why it's so much more expensive. Is that for the entire thing, like the traffic light as well?
Speaker 2 00:38:18 Is it just, yeah. Yeah. So that's kind of what I was, I was just using that as an example for you to see where agencies don't have a problem putting them in versus they do. So when they're having to spend quarter of a million dollars to actually put in a new traffic light intersection, then it's easy for them to make the accessible signal part of that project, right. Because 5,000 out of 250 is nothing. So where they really have to challenge is the retrofitting because they just see, I've got to spend $5,000 at this intersection.
Speaker 1 00:38:57 Um, so are the buttons, usually the part that fails most because of all that equipment, the electronics there?
Speaker 2 00:39:07 Um, honestly, it's usually the speaker. So Minneapolis, for example, um, would buy best speakers from us, um, because you know that the salt on the roads and the harsh winter definitely, um, make a challenge because you have to let the sound come out of the, the button, which means it's not completely sealed per se. Hmm.
Speaker 1 00:39:37 So can you talk about what the cons might be? I mean, everyone can think of great pros for, you know, this accessible signal. I can think of a lot of them. What are the, what are the bad points,
Speaker 2 00:39:53 Bad points I would call is noise pollution. So say you've got a downtown area with, uh, businesses, and these are on the poles at the corner, right near them, or you're in downtown New York city. And you have an apartment right by the corner. If these things are set too loud, then you can get complaints. And so that's probably the number one con is people say, we just don't want this the noise, but we have the ability to turn these things down at night. Now we have better microphones so that we can do ambient volume so they can go fairly quiet until, um, traffic gets louder and then the sound will increase. So we we've done a lot to improve that, but that's really the biggest con is what I would call the noise pollution.
Speaker 1 00:40:44 Is there other things that you have not put in the signal that you'd like to see there?
Speaker 2 00:40:53 Um, one thing that was just hospital recently that I think is a great idea is when someone presses the button, um, a lot of pedestrians may get impatient and just go because it's cold, it's a long cycle, right? Till they get their walk signal because of the way the intersection is programmed. And so I would love it to be able to announce how much time to you're going to get a walk signal. Ah, so that, you know, okay, in 30 seconds, I'm going to get a chance to cross or it's going to be another two minutes.
Speaker 1 00:41:32 Gotcha. Yeah. That would certainly be, I think, although I don't, I don't know. I mean, everyone's got something they want, so I could, I suppose I could see how long, you know, somebody wants to know how long that other traffic light is. Who do you feel that the, the accessible pedestrian signal benefits,
Speaker 2 00:41:55 You know, what, they'd benefit everybody more now because you know, I've, I've got teenagers and they're always on their phones and imagine them coming up to cross the street and they're just not paying attention to the visual signal. So when this thing now announces the walk sign is on, hopefully they pick up their heads from their phones and get crossing and not be distracted.
Speaker 1 00:42:19 Yes. Yes. That's a great answer. So what's, how does one go about getting the accessible signal in their neighborhood or especially I think sometimes in suburbs, it's harder to get them to do it then like in the inner city.
Speaker 2 00:42:45 That's a great question. So, um, for those that can look on the internet, um, on our clara.com website, we have a how to request APS button. And basically that will open up a template or a form letter that we've written to assist you. And basically it will allow you to put your name and say that I, um, have visual impairment, uh, requirements. And this is where I like to cross the street. And I'm requesting that you put in this equipment. And so you can basically fill out the crossings and your name and submit this to your local traffic engineer, and they're supposed to respond to you. And typically they will. And it may take a little time for them to decide, to put the equipment in. But, um, that's the channel that you can use to get the equipment. So many agencies, uh, very willing to work with formal requests. And there's some that, you know, Harmon hire about it, but typically it's, uh, your ADA rights to ask for it. So we provide that form letter on our website. And when we go to the ACB shows, we hand them out, we get people's email addresses and electronically send them the letter. So we, we provide a lot of support and we educate the traffic agency is that, you know, they really need to respond and we educate them as best as we can.
Speaker 1 00:44:22 How has being involved with this opened your eyes to disability?
Speaker 2 00:44:30 Oh my gosh. It has been very eye-opening to me. Um, I I'm from Australia originally and actually we've had these signals in Australia, as long as I can remember, they don't talk, but they make, you know, that annoying sound. So I'd like to get Australia updated, but I'm not
Speaker 1 00:44:54 Sure. And she knew I real opinions on it. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:44:59 But we've, you know, I've been around visually impaired, uh, people that have crossed the street and tried to cross the street and listen to their struggles and challenges. And again, honestly, most people are very thankful for the equipment. There's just a few that say, Hey, I don't need it. I'm pretty independent. But most people are very thankful for the equipment. And that makes me feel good. You know, when I go to the blinded veteran conference each year, not only are these veterans lost their sight, many of them, but they've lost limbs as well. And they're very grateful to know that there's equipment out there to help facilitate them crossing the street.
Speaker 1 00:45:41 And to me, you know, as everything that we have in society, if you don't, you don't have to use it just don't use it. Right. Does. Right. So that's usually my answer to somebody who says they don't like them. Don't use them. So can you talk, uh, tell people how they can go and find out more about accessible traffic signals, um, and where do we request them and things like that.
Speaker 2 00:46:12 Sure. So again, if you have internet access and go to Polara P O L a R a.com, there's a area code, um, how to request an APS, what is an APS? So we have a lot of description of what these things are. And then we have a button to push how to request that will generate you. Being able to have a letter and a brochure that you can send into the traffic agency. If you don't want to use that format, you can call in our number is nine zero three three six six zero three hundred. And we'd be happy to help with that form, or would that request because we have local distributors all over north America that have the relationships with each traffic department. And so you can utilize them to also go in and initiate the request or a, you know, facilitate initiating that request. Can you give that number once more, 9 0 3 3 6 6 0 300.
Speaker 1 00:47:27 Matt has been awesome having you. Is there anything else that you'd like to tell us about this that I don't know about,
Speaker 2 00:47:34 Um, were open to suggestions, uh, any improvements that you'd like to have us incorporate? Um, we continually try to improve the equipment and provide features that are asked for. So we're happy to do that, and we're also happy to come and support you. So for example, if you live in an area where the equipment isn't there, we have local distributors that have demonstration equipment that can come meet with your group and meet with the traffic agency and demonstrate the equipment. So we have a lot of support,
Speaker 1 00:48:15 So people could actually see what that looks like and feel it and hear it to know what they like and what they don't want.
Speaker 2 00:48:23 Yep. Every one about the strip. It has has a little, uh, what I call a suitcase that has a button in it and the power pack that they can plug in and actually hold it in front of someone and have it by the sounds vibrate dislike. It was out on the street.
Speaker 1 00:48:40 Excellent. Matt, thank you. It's been a great time here having you on and giving us all this great information. I really appreciate your time. Thank you very much for coming on on disability and progress.
Speaker 2 00:48:55 Yeah. Thank you for having me. And, uh, I appreciate your time and, uh, catch up with you another time. Hopefully. Excellent.
Speaker 1 00:49:02 Let us know when you're, when you're in town. We'd love to meet. Sounds good. Thank you.
