The city of Tampa is expanding a program that aims to improve pedestrian safety along local roadways.

Tampa’s Leading Pedestrian Interval system gives pedestrians an extra three to seven seconds to walk across crosswalks before cars adjacent to them are given the green light to turn.

Brandon Campbell, the city’s smart mobility manager, says based on safety studies from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the system should result in a 10-20% reduction in pedestrian and car traffic crashes where the system is installed.

He says this is just another way to make the roadways safer for foot traffic…

He says the new system accomplishes three goals: It emphasizes that vehicles must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk; it gives pedestrians more time to clearly demonstrate their intent to use the crosswalk and make themselves more visible; and it serves as a cue that the city prioritizes pedestrian safety and access.