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Traffic study recommends pedestrian hybrid beacon at Church Street; council urged to plan public education
Summary
A follow-up traffic study recommended installing a pedestrian hybrid (HAWK) beacon at Church Street and removing a midblock crosswalk on Route 91 to reduce pedestrian crash potential; staff recommended additional summer pedestrian counts and a public education campaign because drivers unfamiliar with the device sometimes fail to stop.
City transportation staff presented a follow-up study April 8 examining three potential locations for a high-intensity activated crosswalk (a 'pedestrian hybrid beacon,' sometimes called a HAWK) on State Route 91. Based on traffic counts, crash history and coordination with Hudson's adaptive signal system, the study identified Church Street as the preferred site if the city proceeds.
Staff said the recommended plan pairs the hybrid beacon with removal of a midblock crosswalk on the corridor to reduce points where pedestrians and vehicles cross. The hybrid beacon would be coordinated so its activation communicates with the adaptive signals; that coordination is the study's main advantage over an independently operating rectangular rapid-flashing beacon.
Brad, the city transportation presenter, warned council members that hybrid beacons can be unfamiliar to drivers because they normally remain dark until activated; that can cause non-compliance until drivers learn the device's operation. 'Drivers were either compliant or confused and rolled through it or kind of stopped or just blew right through it,' Brad said after visiting a nearby installation. He recommended a pilot approach with summertime counts, a design phase, line-item budgeting in next year's capital plan and a public education program if council wants to proceed.
Councilors discussed alternatives, including a full signal that stays green until someone presses the crosswalk button and a flashing-yellow lens option; staff said those options require warrant analyses and that a traditional HAWK does not include a green lens. Councilor Sutton and others also asked about audible signals and camera-based checks to confirm that vehicles have stopped before signaling pedestrians.
No formal action was taken. Staff said next steps would include refined designs, a budget request during the capital planning cycle and public outreach about how the device operates.
