∞ How California’s New Pedestrian Signal Law Makes Biking Safer

‣ Published on Jan 9, 2024

Alvin Holbrook writes at VELO,

Implementing an LPI at an intersection is an easy way to make streets safer for people walking. There’s no major infrastructure building that needs to happen, just a comparatively inexpensive adjustment to signal timing to prioritize the safety of people walking. And now in California, an LPI also prioritizes people biking.

How low cost is it? The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) says that reprogramming traffic signals to accommodate an LPI can cost between $200 and $1200 per intersection, a drop in the bucket compared to how much pedestrian or bicyclist injuries cost a city.

When I'm driving, I actually also appreciate LPI as that makes me more confident that I would drive safer. So this seems like a no brainer to me.