Accessible crosswalk signals for the visually impaired

A little while back, they installed those pedestrian signal buttons at the intersection, the ones with the audio cues for the visually impaired.

Look, I totally get why they’re there. They’re essential for helping people navigate safely, and I have zero issues with the concept itself.

What I’m actually wondering about is which specific models the city is using here in Washington, D.C., if there are multiple different types being rolled out across the district, and whether it’s even possible to request a hardware change or just have the volume turned down during the night hours.

During the day, it’s fine—no complaints there. But at night? Either because of how the street is laid out or just the way these specific models are built, the sound absolutely echoes through the entire area. It carries for like 200 yards around the intersection, which, in my opinion, is way over the top.

Now, I’m not exactly a light sleeper. Honestly, I’m the kind of person who can sleep through anything; I could probably drift off even if a neighbor was using a jackhammer right against my bedroom wall.
But this is getting ridiculous. We recently put in brand new insulation and high-end PVC windows in our building, and the noise still pierces right through them. From talking to my neighbors on the block and around the intersection, it seems like nobody has been able to get a decent night's sleep lately.

I really want to know if there's a way to petition for a different model or if the city can technically recalibrate the devices to lower the decibel levels once it gets late.

First off, you’ve got to track down who actually holds the bag here—whether it’s the local city council or the Department of Transportation—and try to get them on the phone. If they give you the cold shoulder, which happens more often than I'd like to admit, your next move is to file an official complaint with whatever regulatory agency is overseeing them now. Once that's done, if the responsible party still refuses to lift a finger just because they've been flagged, your only real shot at getting results is to request a noise level assessment. But fair warning: those tests are conducted with windows shut tight, and typically, the person filing the complaint ends up footing the bill.

It might also be worth reaching out to a local organization for the blind or visually impaired. If that traffic signal is screeching loud enough to drive anyone crazy, there's a very real chance it's interfering with the audio cues that people with vision loss rely on to navigate safely.

Hey there,

Are we talking about the intersection of Grahan and Frankfurt Avenue?

If that's the case, I'm actually in touch with those residents.

A press release just went out today:

http://www.foxnews.com/article/life-on-the-streets-of-chicago

http://www.nytimes.com/site/finding-solutions-to-urban-issues