Federal Highway Administration
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590

Refer to: HOTO-1

Mr. Brett Reed
Road Maintenance Superintendent
Douglas County Road Department
1110 Airport Road
Minden, NV 89423

Dear Mr. Reed:

Thank you for your August 20 letter regarding your request to experiment with pedestrian countdown signals. We apologize for the delay in our reply. We have reviewed the material that was submitted in support of your request to experiment. Unfortunately, before we can approve this experiment, it is necessary for you to submit a revised request and evaluation plan with the following information:

• Please provide information on the timing of the traffic signal where experimentation with pedestrian countdown signals will occur (pretimed, semi-actuated, actuated, exclusive, and pedestrian phase?) Also, will only one of several crosswalks at the intersection be equipped with the countdown displays, or will all crosswalks be so equipped?
• Please indicate which type of countdown timing you will be using:
  1. Count down from the beginning of WALK to the end of flashing DON’T WALK,
  2. Count down from the beginning of WALK to the end of WALK, and then the beginning of flashing DON’T WALK to the end of flashing DON’T WALK, and
  3. Count down only from the beginning of flashing DON’T WALK to the end of flashing DON’T WALK.
• Please include the items on the enclosed sample data collection sheets for additional data items for both pedestrian and motorist behavior. We are asking for these data items to be collected in all experiments so the results can be easily compared across the country.
• A large number of pedestrian and motorist observations should be made (100+).
• All data should be collected both before and after installation of the pedestrian countdown signals. Most importantly, the pedestrian and motorist behavior observations should occur both before and after. Before and after data should be collected during the same time period and on the same day of the week.
• In your pedestrian interviews, please make sure the questions are asked in a manner that will indicate whether the pedestrian understands what the signal indications mean. Please include the following question:

  "Do you interpret the combination of the flashing DON’T WALK and the numbers to mean it is legal to enter the crosswalk on a flashing DON’T WALK as long as you can reach either the median or the other side prior to the countdown device reaching zero?"

  We also suggest you phrase questions so the pedestrian has to explain or select the meaning of the indications (multiple choice answers). For example: What does the WALK indication mean? What does the flashing DON’T WALK mean? What does the solid DON’T WALK mean? What do the numbers indicate to you? Do you cross any differently with the countdown signal than with traditional pedestrian signals?
• Please include a legally-binding statement certifying that the technology of pedestrian countdown displays is not protected by a patent or copyright.

For future reference purposes, we have assigned the following official experimentation number and title to your request: 4-233(Ex)--"Pedestrian Countdown Signals-Douglas County." Please refer to this number in future correspondence.

We look forward to receiving your resubmission of your experimentation request with the additional requested information. If we can be of further assistance, please contact Mr. Scott Wainwright on 202-366-0857.

Sincerely yours,

Shelley J. Row, P.E.
Director, Office of Transportation
Operations