Vallejo Increases Pedestrian Safety
I’m Ed Smith, a Vallejo car accident lawyer. The city of Vallejo is close to completing the installation of a new HAWK traffic signal system that state and city transportation officials reportedly hope will reduce the amount of pedestrian deaths and injuries along Sonoma Boulevard, one of the city’s main thoroughfares.
The HAWK system
HAWK is also known as the High-intensity Activated crosswalk and its purpose is to give cars a more dramatic warning when a pedestrian is on the road. Caltrans Spokesman Vince Jacala explained the system to reporters, saying that when a pedestrian comes to an intersection with the HAWK system, they will push a button to activate a beacon in the road. The beacon will start flashing a yellow light to cars on the roadway and eventually begin flashing red. After the beacon has flashed red, it will switch to a sustained red light before turning off completely.
This differs from the old system which simply flashed a walk sign to pedestrians when the correct traffic lights were lit for crossing the road. One of the big differences, according to Jacala, is that this system will only alert drivers if and when there are pedestrians, making it more obvious that there are people in the roadway.
A Community Plan
Jacala noted that Caltrans has been working closely with the city of Vallejo for several years in order to plan the new pedestrian signal system. The system was initially suggested as a way to make the stretch of Sonoma Boulevard near downtown Vallejo a safer place for those who live in the area.
According to officials of Caltrans, the system is also meant to encourage residents of the area to walk and bicycle more often as well as increase mobility and safety for those who use non-motorized forms of transportation. Caltrans officials have also indicated that they believe encouraging more walking and cycling through the HAWK system will help California to achieve its high standard of greenhouse gas reduction.
Installation and Additional Work
Work on the installation of HAWK began in May 2017 and is expected to be finished before the end of July 2017. The beacons are being installed at the intersection of Sonoma Boulevard and Capitol, Ohio, Illinois, and Alabama Streets.
Caltrans is also currently working to install new, brighter street lights at 10 different intersections along Highway 29 between Illinois and Cherry Street as well as repainting crosswalks in order to make them more easily seen by pedestrians and motorists.
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Vallejo Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Vallejo car accident lawyer. If you or a close member of your family has received significant harm as the result of a crash, call me at (707) 564-1900 in order to get free and friendly advice with no charge. I can also be contacted, toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
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