New traffic signal promises safer crossing for pedestrians

Highway and school leaders in Hamilton County have come together to give students a safer route across one of the area's busiest roads.

A new traffic signal called the HAWK Beacon promises safer crossing for pedestrians trying to get across Olio Road near Hamilton Southeastern High School.

"I think the crosswalk is great," said Nicole Scherer, who lives in the area and is the mother of a student. "This is my running route, so I know about the busy traffic.”

Hamilton Southeastern Schools worked with the Hamilton County Highway Department to place the signal across Olio Road between the high school and the new freshman center campus. The signal is unique because it is not located at an intersection and is only activated if it is needed by a pedestrian.

"So when a pedestrian needs to cross the road, they would simply come over and hit the button," said Bradley Davis, Director of the Hamilton County Highway Department.

Once someone presses the button, a yellow light begins to flash, warning drivers to slow down. Within seconds, two red lights signal drivers to come to a complete stop. The unique design does not feature any green lights, instead drivers are allowed to drive as normal once the intersection is clear and the lights go dark.

The traffic out on Olio Road hasn't traditionally been a problem for Hamilton Southeastern because they offer busing for all of their students, but this year they added the freshman center across the road. That way, if the students miss their shuttle bus they still have a safe way to get to class.

"During those peak times something like the HAWK system that we've got employed is going to be absolutely critical in keeping our kids safe," said Ryan Taylor, Safety Coordinator for Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

The system has generated high safety marks across the country for not only protecting pedestrians, but also for eliminating unneeded slowdowns.

"You want to keep traffic moving as much as possible,” Davis said. “They're not stopping needlessly, so when they do see it activated they should know that there is something happening here."

So far Nicole said it appears to be working as advertised.

"It seems pretty easy and I think it shouldn't be hard to use at all," Scherer said.

Ninety percent of the Beacon system was paid for with federal highway safety dollars. The other 10 percent was funded locally.