What term describes a pedestrian signal that displays the number of seconds left to finish crossing?

A pedestrian signal that shows the seconds remaining to finish crossing is called a pedestrian countdown signal.

The numerical display normally operates during the pedestrian change interval: the WALK indication ends, the upraised hand begins flashing, and the number counts down toward zero. It gives people already in the crosswalk information about the remaining clearance time; it does not create extra crossing time or change the traffic signal’s basic sequence.

In the United States, the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices required countdown displays at crosswalks whose pedestrian change interval exceeded seven seconds. Later standards and local practices can differ, so countdown displays are not identical everywhere. Some countries show the timer during a flashing red or blackout phase instead of alongside a flashing hand.

A common mix-up is treating the display as a “walk timer.” It generally counts the clearance interval after WALK, telling pedestrians how long remains before the steady DON’T WALK indication, rather than measuring the entire signal cycle.