New Crosswalk Signals - The "Crosswalk Hawk"

The Hawk

There is a new crosswalk signal light set being installed in Phoenix – and I have seen them in some other places as well. The greatest risk for pedestrians crossing roadways is the high number of inattentive, impaired, impatient and distracted drivers.  As a pedestrian, a person can’t ever assume that because some vehicles have stopped for them, and they are visible to other approaching vehicles, that they are safe crossing a roadway.  You have to keep your eyes moving and your brain connected the entire time.  

But traffic engineers have come up with a couple of new ideas to grab the attention of drivers as they approach crosswalks. First we have a new light set that consists of a solar power unit, with a floodlight to illuminate the pedestrian as they wait to cross, and a yellow strobe light set that flashes to grab the motorist’s eye.  I don’t know how many have been installed – but they are apparently very effective in getting motorists to yield to the pedestrians where they have been.

The second is a bit more common, and is called “the Hawk.”  It was invented by a traffic engineer in Tucson, Arizona a few years back. It is a three-light set that uses the standard colors of traffic signals to stop the vehicles approaching crosswalks. The problem is, almost no one knows what to do when they approach one – and given that the lights aren’t in the usual configuration we see at intersections, many drivers cannot seem to figure them out.

All you really need to know is what each of the three light sequences and colors mean in general.

The Hawk has three lights – two red and one yellow.  When a pedestrian presses the crosswalk button, a flashing yellow signal light illuminates for the approaching traffic, which then goes solid yellow after a couple of seconds. After the yellow sequence, which gives approaching motorists the opportunity to bring their vehicles to a safe stop at the crosswalk, an all-red phase begins and the pedestrian can enter the crosswalk.  

All vehicles must remain stopped while the red lights are illuminated steadily. After the pedestrian has had a sufficient amount of time to cross the street, the red lights begin to alternately flash (like at a railroad crossing).  At this point, if your half of the roadway’s crosswalk is clear of pedestrians, you treat these flashing red lights as you would most other flashing red signal lights – you stop, you yield, and then you may proceed if it is safe to do so.  That’s all there is to it.

People get so confused by this signal set that Phoenix’ traffic engineering department is putting signs up that inform drivers what to do.  Of course, no one reads the signs either.  No surprise there.  But if you forget what to do – just look for those signs.

My instructions are only for Arizona – I don’t know if other states are implementing these the same way we are.  My guess is that they are, but I do not know this for a fact.

Keep the shiny side up… and pay attention behind the wheel!

Uncle Bob