Editing Pedestrian crossing (section)

===Countdown timers===
[[File:CountDownTrafficLight.gif|upright=.4|frameless|right|Count down traffic light]]

Some pedestrian signals integrate a [[countdown]] [[timer]], showing how many seconds are remaining for the clearing phase. In the United States, San Francisco was the first major city to install countdown signals to replace older pedestrian modules, doing so on a trial basis starting in March 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bikewalk.org/2006conference/vconference/presentations/PedestrianandBicycleTrafficSignalIssuesandDirections2.pdf |title=Pedestrian Countdown Signals: Experience with an Extensive Pilot Installation |date=January 2006 |publisher=ITE Journal |pages=43–48 |access-date=9 March 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The United States MUTCD added a countdown signal as an optional feature to its 2003 edition; if included, the countdown digits would be Portland Orange, the same color as the "Upraised Hand" indication.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |url=https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2003/part4/part4e.htm |title=FHWA - MUTCD - 2003 Edition Chapter 4E |website=[[Federal Highway Administration|Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)]]|access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref> The MUTCD's 2009 edition changed countdown timers to a mandatory feature on pedestrian signals at all signalized intersections with pedestrian clearance intervals ("flashing upraised hand" phases) longer than seven seconds. With the MUTCD guideline allotting at least one second to cross {{Convert|3|ft|m}}, this indicates that countdown timers are supposed to be installed on roads wider than {{Convert|21|ft|m}}.<ref name="mutcd-4e" /> The countdown is not supposed to be displayed during the pedestrian "walk" interval ("steady walking person" phase).<ref name="mutcd-4e">{{cite web |title=Chapter 4E - MUTCD 2009 Edition |website=FHWA |url=https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/part4/part4e.htm |date=2009 |access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref>

Some municipalities have found that there are instances where pedestrian countdown signals may be less effective than standard hand/man or "{{Smallcaps|walk}}"/"{{Smallcaps|dont walk}}" signals. New York City started studying the pedestrian timers in an inconclusive 2006 study<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/03/nyregion/03lights.html |title=Too Slow in the Crosswalk? Automatic Timers Will Tell You |last=Chan |first=Sewell |date=3 November 2006 |work=The New York Times|access-date=9 March 2017 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> but only started rolling out pedestrian timers on a large scale in 2011 after the conclusion of a second study, which found that pedestrian countdown timers were ineffective at shorter crosswalks.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Countdown Clocks Coming to City Crosswalks |website=NBC New York |date=16 August 2010 |url=http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Countdown-Clocks-Coming-to-City-Crosswalks-100763809.html |access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref> Additionally, a 2000 study of pedestrian countdown timers in [[Lake Buena Vista, Florida]], at several intersections near [[Walt Disney World]], found that pedestrians were more likely to cross the street during the pedestrian clearance interval (flashing upraised hand) if there is a timer present, compared to at intersections where there was no timer present.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fdot.gov/safety/4-Reports/Bike-Ped/CNT-REPT.pdf |title=The Effects of Pedestrian Countdown Signals in Lake Buena Vista |date=November 2000 |first1=Herman |last1=Huang |first2=Charles |last2=Zegeer |publisher=[[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] Highway Safety Research Center |website=[[Florida Department of Transportation|fdot.gov]] |access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref> A study in [[Toronto]] found similar results to the Florida study, determining that countdown timers may actually cause more crashes than standard hand/man signals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://people.few.eur.nl/kapoor/Kapoor_Magesan_Paging_Inspector_Sands_Final.pdf |title=Paging Inspector Sands: The Costs of Public Information |first1=Sacha |last1=Kapoor |first2=Arvind |last2=Magesan |publisher=[[Erasmus School of Economics]] |website=[[Erasmus University Rotterdam|people.few.eur.nl]] |access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Richmond |first1=Sarah A |last2=Willan |first2=Andrew R |last3=Rothman |first3=Linda |last4=Camden |first4=Andi |last5=Buliung |first5=Ron |last6=Macarthur |first6=Colin |last7=Howard |first7=Andrew |date=9 March 2017 |title=The impact of pedestrian countdown signals on pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions: a reanalysis of data from a quasi-experimental study |journal=Injury Prevention |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=155–158 |doi=10.1136/injuryprev-2012-040717 |issn=1353-8047 |pmc=4033273 |pmid=24065777 }}</ref> However, other cities such as [[London]] found that countdown timers were effective,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/PCaTS-Note-2-Overview-Presentation.pdf |title=Pedestrian Countdown at Traffic Signals - An overview of London's successful trials |date=September 2011 |publisher=[[Transport for London]]|access-date=9 March 2016}}</ref> and New York City found that countdown signals worked mainly at longer crosswalks.<ref name=":0" />

Pedestrian countdown signals are also used elsewhere around the world, such as in Buenos Aires,<ref>{{cite web |title=Podrán programar semáforos según el estado del tránsito |url=https://www.clarin.com/ciudades/Podran-programar-semaforos-transito_0_SkfLCmqaDQx.html |website=Clarín |access-date=8 September 2018 |language=es |date=19 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Patente de Invención, Semáforo vehicular-peatonal con aviso de cambio en unidad de tiempo |url=https://consultas.inpi.gob.ar/Patentes_Resultado?Va=509550&Vb=Concedida&Vc=020010101056 |website=Instituto Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial |publisher=INPI |access-date=8 September 2018 |date=28 November 2006 |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909035418/https://consultas.inpi.gob.ar/Patentes_Resultado?Va=509550&Vb=Concedida&Vc=020010101056 |archive-date=9 September 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> India,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Biswas |first1=Sabyasachi |last2=Ghosh |first2=Indrajit |last3=Chandra |first3=Satish |date=1 April 2017 |title=Effect of Traffic Signal Countdown Timers on Pedestrian Crossings at Signalized Intersection |journal=Transportation in Developing Economies |language=en |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=2 |doi=10.1007/s40890-016-0032-7 |s2cid=132815625 |issn=2199-9287}}</ref> Mexico,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |url=https://gizmodo.com/7-walk-signs-you-wouldnt-mind-waiting-for-1660909047 |title=7 Crosswalk Signals You Won't Mind Waiting For |last=Walker |first=Alissa |work=Gizmodo|access-date=9 March 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref> Taiwan,<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Long |first1=Kejun |last2=Han |first2=Lee D. |last3=Yang |first3=Qiang |date=1 October 2011 |title=Effects of countdown timers on driver behavior after the yellow onset at Chinese intersections |journal=Traffic Injury Prevention |volume=12 |issue=5 |pages=538–544 |doi=10.1080/15389588.2011.593010 |issn=1538-957X |pmid=21972865|s2cid=33996453 }}</ref> and the United Arab Emirates.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/transport/abu-dhabi-installs-countdown-signal-system-for-pedestrians-1.579202 |title=Abu Dhabi installs countdown signal system for pedestrians |date=6 February 2010 |work=GulfNews|access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref> In [[Mexico City]], the walking man moves his feet during the countdown.<ref name=":1" /> In Taiwan, all the crossings feature animated men called [[xiaoluren|xiaolüren]] ("little green man"), who will walk faster immediately before the traffic signal will change. There is also always a countdown timer.<ref name=":2" />