Crosswalk Signage Inconsistencies At Intersections

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

I noticed today, walking up and down Garrison Ave, that Fort Smith is not very consistent with its use of the correct signage with the corresponding device used for ped signaling. On pages 120 through 126 of the SHS ('04 2012 Supplement) are the signs I am referencing.

R10-3c signage can be found at 6th Street and Garrison Ave, while R10-3e (COUNT-DOWN PEDESTRIAN) signage is more correct for every single ped signal. R10-3 can be found up and down the Avenue.

Have you noticed this in your area?

[roadfro]

Well, the standard in the MUTCD simply states that a sign appropriate to pedestrian (or bicycle) activation accompany the push button detector units. That pretty much defaults to the R10-3 ("push button for [walk signal] [arrow]") sign where any ped signal head is present to control pedestrian crossings. An extensive option paragraph allows use of all the R10-3 variants as appropriate to the installation. So the R10-3 sign is the minimum to accompany ped push buttons, and anything else is above and beyond.


In my area there is a mix of the signs, despite nearly all pedestrian signals being countdowns. Most cities in Nevada have retrofitted nearly all ped heads to countdowns without changing out button hardware, hence most intersections do not have educational versions of the R10-3 series sign. Newer intersections or replaced push button units (at least in Reno) use R10-3b or R10-3e educational versions of the push button signs.

I imagine this is common for a lot of areas...

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

I recall Little Rock (the only one I know of) having R10-3e's, with the addition of audible "Wait...wait...wait" tone. I can't remember if every intersection we'd crossed had modernized that much or not.