MTA outlines citywide rollout of accessible pedestrian signals; seeks council input

MTA planners described the city’s ongoing ramp‑up to install accessible pedestrian signals and invited input from the Mayor’s Disability Council.

"We are installing APS at a minimum of 86 intersections… and we are incorporating APS into future signal upgrade projects," said Christina Olayah, pedestrian program manager, noting pilot work and a recent series of activations along Third Street and other corridors. Peter Albert, deputy director of planning, added that the agency was working to finalize technical specifications and a prioritization policy and would return to the council with a draft.

Olayah reviewed APS features the city is adopting—locator tones, tactile arrows, street names in braille and large print, push‑button confirmation lights, automatic volume adjustment and vibrotactile walk indicators—and said the Polaris Navigator system was the preferred manufacturer based on pilot results. She said the MTA has replaced pilot units and expects construction and activation across several batches of intersections as part of a catch‑up period tied to signal upgrades.

Council members asked technical questions about activation for those unable to push a button, placement heights, and coverage on corridors such as Nineteenth Avenue and Mission Street. Olayah said the button is designed to be reachable (about 42 inches above ground), can be used with a cane or chair and that the MTA is coordinating with Caltrans on corridor projects. Beth Berenson of the Lighthouse for the Blind praised the program and said the technology is making busy intersections easier to navigate.

Olayah asked council members and the disability community to use and test installed APS units and to forward request locations to her office at (415) 701‑4579, and she said MTA staff will return with a draft policy and prioritization tool for council review.