Solution:
San Francisco sought a better way to guide vision impaired pedestrians across busy urban streets. Talking Signs -- voice messages stored on silicon chips and transmitted, via infrared light waves, by a small light source placed inside ordinary pedestrian signals -- answered the city's needs.

By pointing a receiver in the general direction of a Talking Sign, blind pedestrians decode the sign's message into speech. The message specifies the intersection's location, its block number and the status of its traffic signal (red, yellow or green) as well as the current orientation of the pedestrian, allowing the person to direct -- or redirect -- his or her steps more precisely.

Results:
The city has installed 14 prototype Talking Signs at downtown crossings; 95 in a major subway station to guide vision impaired riders to fare gates, boarding areas and exits; and 32 others in a nearby cultural center. Reaction to the signs has been overwhelmingly positive. vision impaired pedestrians prefer the signs to audible signals, finding the signs' clear, concrete, site-specific guidance helpful.

Contact:
Bond M. Yee
Bureau Chief, Traffic
City and County of San Francisco
Department of Parking and Traffic
(415) 554-2300.