Disabled advocate helps dedicate region's first wheelchair-activated pedestrian signal

It was just one of many obstacles Crystal Kroum has to face on a daily basis. But as she waited to cross the busy intersection of North 175th Street and Aurora Avenue during morning commute she felt particularly vulnerable. Kroum relies on a power wheelchair that she operates with her chin, and she was unable to push the pedestrian button at the stop light. The experience prompted the Shoreline resident to write King County a letter asking for help. "It's scary. I don't know what the signals are telling the other drivers," says Kroum. "I wonder, 'Is it my turn or is it your turn?' I feel like I'm jaywalking when I use the crosswalk." Crystal Kroum, King County Executive Ron Sims, Shoreline Mayor Scott Jepsen and representatives from United Cerebral Palsy today celebrated the conclusion of an effort begun two and a half years ago as Kroum was the first to use the Puget Sound area's first wheelchair-activated pedestrian crossing signal. After receiving Crystal's letter, King County assembled a team of transportation and disability experts to explore new ideas for accommodating the special needs of the most severely disabled residents. "There were no tried and true conventional systems just sitting on our shelf," says Sims. "But we also knew much research was being done - and new systems being developed to make busy intersections safer for people with special needs. The system now in place at this intersection will serve as a model in providing these residents with the added mobility they need to live and work." The system uses magnetic loops installed underneath specially marked sidewalks. When wheelchairs pass over the section of sidewalk, the pedestrian signal is automatically activated, giving people with severe disabilities the extra time they need to cross the street safely. The total cost was $7,672. For the past year traffic engineers and disabled residents have been testing the crosswalk and making technical adjustments. The intersection work is now complete and will serve as a pilot for making other intersections more wheelchair friendly. "We have a significant number of citizens in Shoreline who depend upon wheelchairs for their mobility," says City of Shoreline mayor Scott Jepsen. "These wheelchair loops are an important service for our residents, and we look forward to installing more as soon as we can." "It means so much to me to have my independence and be safe," said Kroum. "I'd like these to be as common as curb cut-outs and disabled parking spaces because more people with severe disabilities are living in the community and using public transportation." Based on the success of the pilot project, the City of Shoreline plans to add an additional loop detection system later this fall at the intersection of Northeast 175th Street and Meridian. King County is investigating whether the use of electronic eyes at high traffic intersections might one day hold promise as a safety tool. King County will also begin a $327,000 project this fall to construct 79 wheelchair ramps at various intersections built before passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Crystal Kroum prepares to trigger the signal activator, which is below the blue wheelchair symbol on the sidewalk. "It's scary. I don't know what the signals are telling the other drivers. I wonder, 'Is it my turn or is it your turn?' I feel like I'm jaywalking when I use the crosswalk." Crystal Kroum disabled Shoreline advocate Executive Sims thanks Crystal Kroum for "making the system work."

Updated: Oct. 5, 1998