We’ve long grown accustomed to our cellphones talking to us, even Siri’s sometimes sarcastic responses. But buses? That might catch people off guard as they cross the streets of Seattle.
For the next month, King County Metro Transit is testing a warning system on 10 buses that automatically announces, “Caution, bus turning” to pedestrians on the street in both English and Spanish. The system, which features a female voice and a flashing strobe light triggered by wheel rotation, is meant to reduce pedestrian accidents as concern over “distracted walking” increases.
“We’re looking to see how pedestrians respond and whether it seems to be effective at helping them pay more attention if they are otherwise distracted,” said Metro spokesman Jeff Switzer. “In essence, whether this warning system gives us one extra tool to avoid collision.”
Between 2009 and 2013, there was a steady rise in bus-related pedestrian incidents in the county, from 20 to 34. According to Metro, the county has paid $14.2 million in claims for such incidents since 2009.
In response, Metro conducted extra training for its 2,600 operators, and in 2014, the number of incidents dropped to 23. Still, seven of those occurred when a bus was turning. According to Metro, there has been one incident so far this year, and the last pedestrian fatality involving a Metro bus was in October 2013.
Though accidents occur for various reasons, including driver error, studies have shown that pedestrian injuries related to cell phone use — stepping off walkways, bridges or in front of moving traffic — have been on the rise over the last decade.
“There’s this moment where people, if they aren’t paying attention, continue to step off the curb or step into the path of an already turning bus,” Switzer said. “We’re watching to see if this has any effect in that moment.”
Metro will gather feedback from community members and drivers through the rest of the month. The devices cost about $4,000 each, and Metro will decide whether to pursue the technology after it has analyzed the results, a process Switzer said will likely stretch through the fall.
The device can be adjusted for the time of day and the areas in which it is used, as well as volume. Its current setting of 90 decibels may be barely audible above construction, a lesson Metro learned at its initial press gathering when a pile driver started up nearby.
“It’s all part of the urban fabric,” Switzer said. “[Pile driving] is about as loud as it gets. But once you get out of the downtown area and are in a quiet neighborhood, 90 decibels might sound a lot different. We’re open to making adjustments.”
Only a handful of cities currently use bus audio warning systems, and there is limited data on their effectiveness. King County is not the only area testing the concept. Philadelphia and Montgomery began pilot programs in March, and Portland’s TriMet wrapped up a seven-month research project in October on three different systems using a $400,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration.
Switzer compared the announcements to those in parking garages — that familiar phrase: “Caution, vehicle approaching.”
“There’s already some of these types of announcements in the downtown cores of cities,” Switzer said. “Is it time to put it on a bus? We’ll find out.”