New intersections may cause problems to the visually impaired

Drivers aren't the only ones who have to learn new rules when traditional intersections are converted to roundabouts.Also sharing the road will be pedestrians, some of whom may be blind or visually impaired. Advocates for the disabled say that could pose a problem.

That's because the normal cues that visually impaired pedestrians listen for when crossing traffic aren't present in roundabouts, said Nikki Llewellyn, orientation and mobility manager with The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired-Goodwill Industries of Greater Rochester Inc.
"What you're listening for is the perpendicular traffic surge in front of you to stop and the surge of parallel traffic to your left or right to begin," she said.

As part of her job, Llewellyn teaches blind and visually impaired people how to achieve safe, independent travel."I've always been very happy that we didn't have many (roundabouts) here," she said, adding that if we get more roundabouts in the area, she may advise her clients to avoid crossing at them if there are traditional crossings with traffic lights nearby.

No specific Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines cover roundabout crossing safety, but Rochester nonetheless worked with the Rochester Center for Independent Living to ensure access for all pedestrians at the new South Plymouth Avenue and Ford Street roundabout, said Ed Doherty, commissioner of environmental services.

He said the crosswalks are clearly marked so drivers can see them. Also, the sidewalks are separated from the roadway by raised curbing and have textured pads on their crosswalk access ramps — as required by the ADA — so blind pedestrians can feel where they're supposed to cross the road.

But while textured pads and ramps help people find crosswalks, they don't help people know when there's a gap in traffic large enough to safely cross the road, said Janet Barlow, an orientation and mobility specialist with Accessible Design for the Blind in Atlanta, Ga.

Barlow is involved in a project with the National Cooperative Highway Research Program that is trying to find a better way to get blind and visually impaired pedestrians across roundabouts.
Some devices under consideration include pedestrian-activated stop lights that halt vehicles when someone is crossing the road.But no workable solutions have yet been determined, she said.