Affordable ADA Crosswalks

Pedestrian Push Button Accessibility Requirements

compact aps pushbutton with non contact activation

Push button options for Carmanah’s crosswalk beacon systems

polara bulldog pushbutton
compact aps pushbutton
compact aps pushbutton with non contact activation

Standards and compliance for accessible pedestrian signals and crosswalks

All pedestrian infrastructure, especially crosswalks, should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age or ability. Key elements like curb ramps, pavement markings, crossing times, and detectable warnings stem from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates public environments to accommodate people with disabilities.

Pedestrian push buttons are part of this infrastructure and must also meet ADA standards. The FHWA’s Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and Public Rights of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) set the baseline for designing and installing these push buttons.

PROWAG mandates that when pedestrian signals or warning beacons are installed or altered, they must include accessible push buttons. Specifically, PROWAG (and, by extension, the ADA) states:

“When a pedestrian push button or passive detection device is used for pedestrian-activated warning devices, like rectangular rapid flashing beacons, it must activate a speech message indicating the beacon’s status instead of an audible walk signal. The speech message volume must comply with R308.4. Push buttons should not include vibrotactile features indicating a walk interval.” (R303.7)

Pedestrian push button accessibility and cost matrix

Previously, pedestrian push buttons with all accessibility features had larger power requirements and needed larger solar crosswalk systems to operate sustainably. Innovations to the energy efficiency of these pushbuttons now allow for a smaller solar system to power them sustainably—providing fully ADA-accessible crosswalks at a lower overall system cost than before.

Explore the matrix below to see which pushbuttons are available for Carmanah’s solar system sizes.

carmanah-pedestrian-pushbutton-accessibility-matrix-image