Breaking down new Salinas hybrid crosswalk
SALINAS, CALIF. (KION-TV)- A new crosswalk lit up the streets on Sanborn and Buckhorn last Friday.
The hybrid pedestrian beacon allows people crossing the section to feel safer crossing the street.
Several people who didn’t want to be on camera tell Karl this feels like your normal crosswalk with just the added button from a stoplight.
The lights changing colors and flashing can be a little confusing for drivers in this area. KION'S Karl Cooke recorded a step-by-step into how the lights work and how it looks from the pedestrian's point of view.
- First, the person walking will approach the button and press it to signal they want to cross.
- Once that happens, the stoplights will first blink yellow and turn completely yellow, letting drivers know someone is going to walk.
- Once the lights turn red, all cars have to stop, and the person can cross the street within the given time.
- Once everyone is across, the lights will start blinking red.
- Drivers will need to treat this like a stop sign, but if walking traffic is all clear, they can drive as normal and the lights will shut off until the next person presses the button to cross.
According to test studies, this beacon is less expensive than a full traffic signal installation. Costs for this type of crosswalk are an average per unit cost of $57,680. Other studies show that installing these beacons can reduce pedestrian crashes by 55%.
