Audio signals being added to Charlottesville pedestrian signals
The City of Charlottesville this week is adding new technology to more than two dozen pedestrian signals to make it safer for those with visual impairments to cross the road. The city is installing an app called Polara that delivers this service,
“With this new system, a person approaching an intersection can open the app to listen to a voice that speaks with the pedestrian signal,” reads a press release sent out Tuesday. “This allows anyone to virtually activate the pedestrian signal from their phone—provided they are within five feet of the signal.”
The city is hoping to get 26 of the signals done this year and have another 50 done within the next six months. The total cost is around $600,000 and the funds come from the capital improvement program for infrastructure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
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