The City of Gainesville has installed a new mid-block pedestrian crossing to replace the existing pedestrian crossing at Academy Street and Northside Drive. The crossing features a pedestrian signal, known as the HAWK (High-Intensity Activated Cross Walk) Pedestrian Beacon.
Gainesville Public Works Director, Chris Rotalsky, said the HAWK beacon is a traffic control device used to stop road traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely, and to improve pedestrian access to the Rock Creek Greenway.
“At a HAWK crossing, drivers receive multiple cues to emphasize the potential presence of a pedestrian. The HAWK will create a temporary red light that makes motorists stop and will be coordinated with the existing signals of Academy Street at Oak Street and Academy Street at Bradford Street,” said Rotalsky.
When activated by a pedestrian, the HAWK signal will first turn yellow to warn drivers before turning to red to indicate that traffic should come to a complete stop. After a set amount of time, the red signal will begin to flash, indicating that drivers can proceed if no pedestrian is in the crosswalk.
