In June of 2002, the U.S. Access Board released a draft document entitled

Draft Guidelines for Public Rights-Of-Way

. These draft guidelines required APS systems at all new signalized intersections where pedestrian signals are installed. In July 2011, the

Proposed Accessibility Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way

, also known as the PROWAG, was issued. The PROWAG also included requirements for APS to be installed where pedestrian signals are provided.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that when pedestrian facilities are provided, they must be usable by all pedestrians. While the PROWAG has not been finalized by the U.S. Access Board nor adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice or U.S. Department of Transportation, it does provide a useful framework to meet our obligations to make our programs, services and activities in the public right-of-way readily accessible and usable by all individuals, including those with disabilities. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) stresses that the draft guidelines should be considered as best practices and the state of practice and should be followed regarding issues not covered by the existing ADA standards.

The following recommended practice is based on the above mentioned draft guidelines that were developed through the FHWA.