LED Warning Signs in National City: a Citywide Pedestrian Enhancement Project

City of National City, California aimed to implement a citywide plan to make pedestrian, school crossing and pedestrian/bicycle signs more visible to motorists. Here, a succession of LED enhanced school crossing signs on 8thStreet warn motorists in real-time of pedestrians inside or waiting to cross at a crosswalk. To enhance the safety of school children and pedestrians at approximately 35 crossing locations inside city limits, the City of National City aimed to find a solution that would not only create safer crossing environments for the public, but also increase driver yielding by giving them ample time and sufficient warning to slow down at mid-block crossings where pedestrians are present. This project is on-going with systems installed starting in 2011.

Type: Citywide mid-block pedestrian, bike, and school zone safety crossing enhancement

Project Size: 70, 36” x 36” Flashing Solar LED Border-Enhanced Pedestrian, School Crossing & Ped/Bike Warning Signs; 70 push button stations with braille placards

Client: City of National City

Preferred Architects: Dokken Engineering

Preferred Installing Contractor: Perry Electric

An effective, budget-friendly, scalable traffic calming safety system that’s proven effective at alerting motorists up to 1,000 feet in advance of a crosswalk. Rush hour traffic, school children excitement, low visibility at night, and other visual roadway distractions created the need for highly visible, high-intensity, LED border-enhanced warning sign systems for use throughout the city. Additionally, solar power and push button mechanisms with braille were required for a Co2 carbon-neutral, and sight-impaired accessible, public safety solution.

Solution 1:

48 Solar Flashing 36” x 36” LED Pedestrian Signs

Our W11-2 flashing LED border-enhanced warning signs were added to mid-block crossings where additional pedestrian visibility was desired. MUTCD compliant, only LightGuard Systems’ LED signs contain 8 light bars with 96 high-intensity flashing LEDs. Visible from 1,000 feet, LED signs help to increase motorist yielding. National City’s LED signs activate via pedestrian push buttons with braille placards, operate via solar power, and flash only when a pedestrian is present.

Solution 2:

20 Solar Flashing 36” x 36” LED School Crossing Warning Signs

Our S1-1 flashing LED border-enhanced warning signs were added to mid-block crossings where motorists encountered multiple mid-block crossings within a 1-mile area. MUTCD compliant, only LightGuard Systems’ LED signs contain 8 light bars with 96 high-intensity flashing LEDs. Visible from 1,000 feet, LED signs help to increase motorist yielding. National City’s LED signs activate via pedestrian push buttons with braille placards, operate via solar power, and flash only when a pedestrian is present.

Solution 3:

2 Solar Flashing 36” x 36” LED Ped/Bike Warning Signs

Our custom W11-15 flashing LED border-enhanced pedestrian/bicycle warning signs were added to crossings where public crossing warning sign visibility was desired. MUTCD compliant, only LightGuard Systems’ LED signs contain 8 light bars with 96 high-intensity flashing LEDs. Visible from 1,000 feet, LED signs help to increase motorist yielding. National City’s LED signs activate via pedestrian push buttons, operate via solar power, and flash only when a pedestrian is present.

Solution 4:

70 Push Button Stations with Braille Placards

Braille Placard

Our MUTCD & ADA compliant 2” push button contains 4 lights that flash when pushed—letting pedestrians know that the flashing LED crosswalk signs are activated. Sold in pairs, it has tamper-resistant hardware, large mushroom buttons and easily mounts to existing poles. National City selected optional braille placards for the visually impaired public. Push buttons can be used alone, or as an adjunct activation method to passive activation bollards.