Starting right after an SDOT crew left California SW and SW Alaska on Saturday morning, people started asking us about the then-covered-up pushbuttons they installed on all corners. Some worried these were “beg buttons” meaning the intersection would stop being automatically cycled “Walk All Ways.” An explanation wasn’t available over the weekend, but we just got this reply from SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali :

What you’re seeing are new Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) push buttons being installed to meet ADA standards. These provide audio and tactile cues to help people who are blind or low-vision know when it’s safe to cross. The cardboard covers are just temporary — crews keep them in place until all APS units are ready to be activated at the same time.

We’re also replacing som

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