As a follow-on to Sac City NEW beg buttons, some background information on pedestrian pushbuttons (beg buttons). The federal government, under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) makes available the PEDSAFE: Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System. Eleven countermeasures are offered for pedestrian crossing locations:

• Curb Ramps
• Marked Crosswalks and Enhancements
• Curb Extensions
• Crossing Islands
• Raised Pedestrian Crossings
• Lighting and Illumination
• Parking Restrictions (at Crossing Locations)
• Pedestrian Overpasses/Underpasses
• Automated Pedestrian Detection
• Leading Pedestrian Interval
• Advance Yield/Stop Lines

Note that automated pedestrian detection is among the eleven. Pedestrian pushbuttons are not listed because they are not a pedestrian safety countermeasure.

Now knowing about the Vision Zero update (thanks, Matt), I will see how the city’s list of actions compares to this list of countermeasures.