TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT SELECTION COMMISSION*

CHAIR

Jeanne Krieg

Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority (retired)

VICE CHAIR

Jameson Auten

Lane Transit District

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Ryan I. Daniel

St. Cloud Metro Bus

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

Doran J. Barnes

Foothill Transit

MEMBERS

Andrea Burnside

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Julia Castillo

Heart of Iowa Transit Authority

April Chan

San Mateo County Transit District

Desmond Cole

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority

Carolyn Flowers

InfraStrategies LLC

David Harris

New Mexico Department of Transportation

Tim Healy

Sound Transit

Brendon Hemily

Hemily and Associates

Vince Huerta

East Texas Council of Governments

Joseph Leader

HDR

Benjamin Limmer

Connecticut Department of Transportation

Bacarra Mauldin

Memphis Area Transit Authority

Jessica Mefford-Miller

Valley Metro

Raymond Melleady

USSC Group

Brad Miller

Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)

Elizabeth Presutti

Charlotte Area Transit System

Catherine Rinaldi

MTA Metro North Railroad, NY

Jeffrey Rosenberg

Amalgamated Transit Union

Justin Stuehrenberg

Madison Metro Transit

Frank White, III

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority

Kimberly J. Williams

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County

Nigel H.M. Wilson

MIT

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Victoria Sheehan

TRB

Paul P. Skoutelas

APTA

Jim Tymon

AASHTO

[Vacant]

FTA

Kristin White

FHWA

TOPS COMMISSION STAFF ADVISOR

Arthur L. Guzzetti

APTA

SECRETARY

Monique R. Evans

TRB

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2025 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*

OFFICERS

CHAIR: Leslie S. Richards, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia

VICE CHAIR: Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC

MEMBERS

James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ

Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City

Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL

Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul

Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany

Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington

Andrew Fremier, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco, CA

Martha Grabowski, Professor Emerita, Information Systems, Le Moyne College, Madden College of Business & Economics, Cazenovia, NY

Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA

Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston

Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames

Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA

Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta

Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY

Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-Director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley

Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC

Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento

LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD

Firas Ibrahim, Director, Office of Research, Development, and Technology, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), Washington, DC

Jason Kelly, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC

Sandra Knight, President, WaterWonks, LLC, Washington, DC

Zahra “Niloo” Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council

Chris Rocheleau, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC

Gloria Shepherd, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC

Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC

___________________

^* Membership as of February 2025.

^* Membership as of February 2025.

TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 248

Tactile Wayfinding in Transportation Settings for Travelers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Volume 2: Guide

Sarah Worth O’Brien

Alyson West

Bo Lan

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY SAFETY RESEARCH CENTER

Chapel Hill, NC

Alan C. Scott

Billie “Beezy” Bentzen

Linda Myers

Jennifer Graham

ACCESSIBLE DESIGN FOR THE BLIND

Chapel Hill, NC

Bastian Schroeder

Lee Rodegerdts

Paul Ryus

Sarah Brown

KITTELSON & ASSOCIATES, INC.

Wilmington, NC

Mark Walker

WSP USA INC.

New York, NY

Subject Areas

Pedestrians and Bicyclists • Public Transportation • Safety and Human Factors

Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the American Public Transportation Association

TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and introduce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.

The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of transit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes various transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices.

TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooperating organizations: FTA; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and APTA. APTA is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Commission.

Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Commission to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Commission defines funding levels and expected products.

Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel appointed by TRB. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.

Because research cannot have the desired effect if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on disseminating TCRP results to the intended users of the research: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners.

TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs.

TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 248, VOLUME 2

Project B-46

ISSN 2572-3782

ISBN 978-0-309-73383-0

Digital Object Identifier: 10.17226/28910

© 2025 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.

Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.

NOTICE

The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.

The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.

The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the Transit Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

Published research reports of the

TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

are available from

National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360
Washington, DC 20001

(800) 624-6242

and can be ordered through the Internet by going to
https://nap.nationalacademies.org

Printed in the United States of America

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state departments of transportation, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.

Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CRP STAFF FOR TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 248, VOLUME 2

Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Gwen Chisholm Smith, Manager, Transit Cooperative Research Program

Mariela Garcia-Colberg, Senior Program Officer

Stephanie L. Campbell-Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant

Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications

Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications

Claire Aelion-Moss, Editor

TCRP PROJECT B-46 PANEL

Field of Service Configuration

Katharine M. Hunter-Zaworski, K. M. Hunter-Zaworski, LLC, Corvallis, OR (Chair)

Melissa A. Anderson, FHWA, Riverdale Park, MD

Dennis M. Cannon, Synergy LLC, Washington, DC

Rachel Carpenter, California Department of Transportation, Sacramento

Jessica DeVille, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Baton Rouge

Scott A. Engel, South Uptown Neighborhood Association, Minneapolis, MN

Lukas Franck, The Seeing Eye, Inc., Morristown, NJ

Svetlana Grechka, Regional Transportation District (Denver), CO

Daniel G. Levy, DanTec Associates, San Diego, CA

Kathleen M. McCauley, Massachusetts Port Authority, East Boston

Milagros Ortiz, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames

Kenneth G. Rodgers, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Minneapolis

Elizabeth Hilton, FHWA Liaison

Peter Butler, FTA Liaison

Andrew Golba, FTA Liaison

Lynette Little, FTA Liaison

Zachary Smith, APTA Liaison

Scott J. Windley, U.S. Access Board Liaison

FOREWORD

By Mariela Garcia-Colberg

Staff Officer

Transportation Research Board

This publication describes the technical specifications for selection, usability, installation, and maintenance of tactile walking surface indicators (TWSIs) in multimodal environments. The report and guide will be of immediate use to state, local, and tribal agencies, including rail, transit, and highway agencies; public works departments; ferries; airports; parks and recreation departments; and other entities seeking to provide wayfinding cues to improve the accessibility of their networks.

TWSIs typically comprise attention fields made up of truncated domes—referred to in the United States as detectable warning surfaces (DWSs)—and guiding patterns made up of raised parallel bars. The truncated domes and guiding patterns are combined to define travel paths in pedestrian areas, including public rights-of-way and multimodal transportation facilities. Many countries use TWSIs extensively, and some have adopted standards requiring them, to aid wayfinding for visually impaired travelers.

In the United States, tactile guiding patterns may solve wayfinding problems for visually impaired travelers where there are insufficient cues in the built environment to enable effective wayfinding. While most of these guiding pattern installations are raised bar surfaces, there is significant variation in the installation and materials, including the width and height (detectability) of the guiding pattern and where it is located. Consistency in cues for wayfinding is critical to blind and visually impaired travelers. It is important for them to understand the message of such cues because they are unable to use many other cues available to travelers with unimpaired vision.

The objective of TCRP Project B-46 was to produce guidance for transportation planners, engineers, and orientation and mobility specialists, which will provide consistency in the design, installation, and usability of TWSIs in multimodal transportation in the United States. The report is organized into two volumes. TCRP Research Report 248: Tactile Wayfinding in Transportation Settings for Travelers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, Volume 1: Conduct of Research contains an overview of previous research, standards and practices, the research approach, three different human factor experiments conducted, the findings and conclusions, and future suggested research. TCRP Research Report 248: Tactile Wayfinding in Transportation Settings for Travelers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, Volume 2: Guide highlights the need for wayfinding and discusses tactile wayfinding applications, implementations, and postimplementation activities.

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction

Purpose and Scope

Audience

Development of the Guidelines

Guide Outline

Additional Resources

Chapter 2 Background

Need for Tactile Wayfinding

Types of TWSI

Detectability and Discriminability

Evolution of Tactile Wayfinding

Current U.S. Practice

Chapter 3 Transit Facility and Other Plaza-Type Applications

Planning Process

Identifying Project Context and Wayfinding Needs

Identifying the Type of System to Use

Design Process

Potential Applications

Chapter 4 Crossing Applications

Principles for TWSI Placement

Potential Applications

Chapter 5 Implementation

Selecting TWSI Materials

Guidance for Orientation and Mobility Professionals

Chapter 6 Postimplementation Activities

Assessing System Effectiveness

Maintaining the System

Case Studies

References

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