City expands leading pedestrian intervals and considers no‑turn‑on‑red restrictions; advocates urge pairing with accessible pedestrian signals

A Transportation Commission member urged the committee to require accessible pedestrian signals (APS) where leading pedestrian intervals (LPI) or exclusive pedestrian phasing are present, and city traffic staff described current LPI deployments and planned No‑Right‑on‑Red restrictions paired with LPIs.

"People with vision loss traditionally learn to align and cross with their parallel traffic... When the pedestrian phase begins before the parallel traffic, it's noted in MUTCD how this has the effect of pedestrians beginning their crossing too late and putting them in danger," Rachel Lehi, who said she lives in District 3 and serves on the Transportation Commission, told the committee during public testimony. She said Spokane has an APS ordinance with a goal of APS at all signalized intersections by 2025 and urged APS be included where LPI or exclusive pedestrian phasing is used.

Traffic staff explained LPI gives pedestrians a seven‑second head start before parallel vehicle traffic and is intended to reduce conflicts with turning vehicles. Staff said APS (audible/tactile signals) is "suggested in the MUTCD" and should be paired with LPI "when possible" because visually impaired pedestrians often rely on parallel vehicle cues to know when to cross.

Clint Harris, a city traffic presenter, listed recent LPI/No‑Right‑on‑Red deployments and future sites. Completed or implemented locations mentioned included 20th & Perry, Cincinnati & Mission, North River & Washington; LPI implementations listed included DeSmet & Hamilton, 40th & Regal, and Post & Main. Planned locations include Monroe & Summit Parkway, Howard at Spokane Falls Boulevard, Howard at Maine, Howard at Sprague and multiple Riverside locations tied to the Riverside project. Staff said some intersections require equipment upgrades (for example, new cabinets) to support LPI and APS and that timing changes can affect vehicle queues, so the city is staging deployments to study impacts.

Committee members asked about driver confusion and whether prohibition signage or signal indications will be obvious to motorists when implementing No‑Right‑on‑Red. Staff said they would follow up with specifics on the exact signage and signal hardware to be used. Lehi and staff both emphasized the accessibility benefit: staff acknowledged that audible APS units help clarify the pedestrian phase for people with vision loss when an LPI alters the usual vehicle/pedestrian sequence.