On May 11, the town will be activating a new crosswalk signal on Sahuarita Road, approximately 700 feet east of the Union Pacific Railroad Crossing. Community residents may have been wondering what’s been taking place with construction and striping on Sahuarita Road just east of the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. In the past couple of weeks, poles have been installed and a crosswalk has been painted at the location. Residents will need to be prepared to stop upon activation of the signal.
This will be a multi-use traffic crossing for pedestrians, cyclists, and FICO tractors working in the area. This High Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) beacon is not illuminated until it is activated by a user (pedestrian, cyclist, etc.), triggering the warning flashing yellow lens on the major street. After a set amount of time, the indicator changes to a solid yellow light to inform drivers to prepare to stop.
The beacon then displays a dual solid red light to drivers on the major street and a walking person symbol to users. As with any signal, the red light is an indicator that traffic should stop. At the conclusion of the walk phase, the beacon displays an alternating flashing red light, and users are shown an upraised hand symbol with a countdown display informing them of the time left to cross. During the alternating flashing red lights, drivers can proceed after coming to a full stop and checking that the user has already crossed their lane of travel. Each successive driver is legally required to come to a full stop before proceeding during the alternating flashing red phase.