Just hire some homeless people to do that. See Obama, I have solutions to employ Americans.

Yes, and they would be covered by all of the manure from P&R Rider's avian friends who live aroud Main Street Square!

When I first read Mary's post, I thought, "Hmmm, warnings to pedestrians...good idea"  Then I said "Hmm, cross walks...why warn pedestrians when they have the ROW?"

Well, I read the article.

The hot link embedded in the post does not take you to the story. The complete story is at the following link:

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1255509026101060.xml&coll=2

Read it.  It appears the transit authority is doing this not due to pedestrians but due to driver neglect!  Here are the key paragraphs:  

"The turn signals were first modified to beep following the March death of Patrick Merrill, 59, of Berea, who was struck in a crosswalk on Ontario Street at Rockwell Avenue.

Merrill's death occurred after all bus operators had completed RTA's "Left Turn Blitz" training program developed after another death - that of 66-year-old Miguel Muniz from Cleveland who died in September 2008 after he was hit by an RTA bus in a crosswalk at West Sixth Street and Superior Avenue. Bus driver Anedra Smith was fired.

The agency paid more than $1.7 million to settle a wrongful death suit filed by Muniz's family. Merrill's family filed a wrongful death suit against RTA in June in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

Angela Williams, 40, the bus driver who struck Merrill, was charged in August with aggravated vehicular homicide. Her trial is scheduled for Nov. 9.

Officials said Williams was talking on her cell phone when the incident occurred. In September, RTA announced that bus and rapid transit drivers caught using or just carrying cell phones and other electronic devices while operating a vehicle will be fired. York said no violations have been reported."

The addition of noise outside, or inside that passengers might hear, is more intrusion into people's peace.

Read also the comments to the story.  I have an additional one.  Put small taser devices under the driver's seat linked to a radar unit.  If the driver comesw within a few feet of a ped, he/she gets a jolt to make them drop their cell phone or "PAY ATTENTION"!

Arent there signs on the METRO busses that say something like "wait till the bus pulls away from the curb" or something like that, meaning let the bus drive off(turn the corrner etc.) first then cross the street.

@DominicMazoch

Comes with the job.

@Don G

Thanks.

"If the driver comesw within a few feet of a ped, he/she gets a jolt to make them drop their cell phone or "PAY ATTENTION"!"

Irrelevant.  What if that "jolt" results in the driver getting knocked out?  Think about it.

"Cleveland pedestrians on crosswalks will soon hear a voice warning them that a bus is approaching, the first vocal alert system in the nation."

Bring that to Houston---but don't limit it to just buses.  Make it to where it'll apply to ALL traffic---if possible.

What a waste of money.

The key words to this story are "federal stimulus money" and "$600,000".

@don y

Yes.