Phoenix adds 100th HAWK crosswalk to protect pedestrians
Dec 5, 2024, 4:45 AM | Updated: 8:07 am
PHOENIX — Phoenix now has 100 high-tech crosswalks designed to enhance pedestrian safety, according to city officials.
City officials celebrated the hundredth High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) at the intersection of 18th Street and McDowell Road on Wednesday morning.
This particular area is bustling, according to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
“We’re very near The Governor, which is a huge, new apartment complex,” Gallego told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “We’re near a city park, actually, where my kiddo played soccer.”
Due to the amount of activity, this intersection sees a lot of foot traffic.
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“Unfortunately, people will cross where it’s convenient, so we’re trying to install HAWKs and make the most convenient crossing the safest crossing,” Gallego said.
How do HAWK signals improve traffic safety in Phoenix?
HAWK signals are designed to alert drivers of a pedestrian’s need to cross the street.
They only light up when a pedestrian presses a button to activate them. That’s when a traffic light will flash yellow for five seconds before turning solid yellow, preparing drivers to stop.
After that, the two lights atop the signal head will turn solid red, which gives the pedestrian around 25 seconds to safely cross the block.
The HAWK signals will then flash red, which means drivers should only proceed when the pedestrian is fully out of the roadway.
Why officials believe Phoenix needs HAWK signals
As a result of the area’s foot traffic, improving its pedestrian safety has become a pressing priority for local leaders, including Phoenix Vice Mayor Debra Stark.
“Unfortunately, the city of Phoenix leads the country — we’re in the top 10 of pedestrian fatalities, something I’m not proud of at all,” Stark told KTAR News.
She sees the technology behind HAWK signals as an impressive feat of engineering that is in high demand.
“This particular neighborhood around McDowell was asking for it,” Stark said. “We did some traffic studies, they said it was warranted, and so we’re very happy to see it go up.”
Many of the community members calling for the technology were parents, she added.
“There’s some schools around the area as well, so I think a lot of parents were driven to make sure the area was safe,” Stark said. “A lot of the kids here actually walk to school.”
An online map shows all of the intersections where drivers and pedestrians will see these HAWK signals within Phoenix.
