One of New York’s pedestrian safety features at crosswalks will now extend to include bikers.
Known as LPI (leading pedestrian interval) these signals give pedestrians a 7 to 11 second range to finish crossing the street before cars get the green light to go through. There are currently 2,547 LPIs installed across the city.
A pilot program was announced earlier this week by StreetsblogNYC and the DOT that’ll give cyclists the ability to also follow the LPI signals at 50 specific intersections across NYC. The idea is to extend the safety benefits of the LPIs to cyclists by giving bikers a chance to get a safe distance ahead of drivers before the lights change.
The program will be temporary, running until October, with signs at the designated intersections where cyclists will be allowed to use the signal for a head-start. If all goes well during the trial period this will likely become a permanent rule in the future.
featured image source: photo modified: flickr / Billie Grace Ward / CC by 2.0