Chicago doesn’t have enough traffic signals that help blind pedestrians, judge rules

Chicago is at fault for failing to install pedestrian walk signals that help blind people cross busy intersections more safely, such as by emitting sounds, a federal judge has ruled.

The ruling, issued March 31, was hailed as a win by lawyers for the organization and people that brought the lawsuit, who described Chicago as among the worst major cities in the country for the prevalence of accessible walk signals. Pedestrian signals that emit sounds help blind or partially sighted people navigate the city more safely, and can also help other distracted pedestrians safely cross busy, complex intersections, said Jelena Kolic, one of the attorneys who brought the lawsuit.

“It means that the city is, I hope, going to become a lot more accessible going forward,” she said.

The class-action lawsuit was first filed in 2019 by the American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago and three individuals, and was later joined by the U.S. Department of Justice. When and how Chicago must come into compliance has yet to be determined, but Kolic said she hopes the parties can negotiate the next steps, rather than have the court weigh in.

Chicago has about 2,800 intersections with traffic signals, according to the ruling, where accessible pedestrian signals could potentially be installed. About 1% of those intersections include pedestrian signals that convey information to blind people — though the exact number is disputed — a figure Judge Elaine E. Bucklo called “a minuscule portion of the whole” in her ruling.

Blind pedestrians “have greater difficulty than sighted pedestrians with essential street-crossing tasks of locating the street and the crosswalk area,” Bucklo said in her ruling. They face a “variety of challenges” at crossings with only visual cues, including determining the right time to begin crossing, facing the right direction to reach their destination and maintaining that direction during crossing, Bucklo wrote.

Blind pedestrians might try to confirm the location and direction of a crosswalk, and the correct time to begin crossing, by listening to nearby traffic, Bucklo wrote, citing an expert report submitted by a certified orientation and mobility specialist who instructs people with vision disabilities. But that is challenging when factoring in environmental noise and quieter engines of electric and hybrid vehicles. It is also a challenge given complex intersection design that can include turn signals for cars or walk signals that allow pedestrians to begin walking before cars begin moving.

The Chicago Department of Transportation said accessible signals are under construction, in design or in procurement for more than 150 intersections.

“The City of Chicago fully recognizes the importance of Accessible Pedestrian Signals,” department officials said in a statement. “The pace of installing (accessible pedestrian signals) is impacted by the configuration, complexity, and current conditions of the intersection, in addition to long lead times on materials and supply chain challenges.

Estimated costs to install the signals have been between $50,000 and $200,000 per intersection.

But Kolic said accessible walk signals that are in design or construction remain unavailable to blind pedestrians.

The signals can benefit other pedestrians too, she said. People waiting to cross a street are often easily distracted by phones or conversation, and sound emitted by the signals can remind them to safely cross.

Kolic said the plaintiffs in the case spent years advocating for more accessible pedestrian signals before filing the lawsuit, but often felt like they were asking for a favor or show of good faith. The ruling, however, confirms providing accessible signals was “a duty on the city’s part, and not just a favor,” she said.

“They have a right to expect that the intersection be accessible,” she said. “And the city has a duty to do right by them.”

sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com