Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) is a set of high-intensity yellow lights, mounted below a pedestrian warning sign, adjacent to a crosswalk. When a person on foot approaches the crosswalk, he or she presses an accessible button that activates multiple sets of yellow flashing lights and quickly signals to drivers that they must yield to the crossing pedestrian. RRFBs help increase the visibility of pedestrians at existing crosswalks.
As a complete streets leader, Arlington installed its first two RRFBs over ten years ago to pilot this new innovative technology. In May 2020, the Federal Highway Administration recognized Arlington County for its efforts to deploy RRFBs to improve pedestrian safety. In the summer of 2020, the County completed its 17th RRFB project at Washington Blvd and N Nelson St.
A similar crossing treatment was installed at Washington Blvd & N Utah St. Arlington County collected data at this location in Fall 2018 to evaluate how the addition of the RRFB impacts driver and pedestrian interactions. Results showed that flashing lights from RRFB reduce vehicle speeds by 10 mph and driver probability to yield to crossing pedestrian increases by 35%.
Washington Blvd and N Nelson St
As part of the safety improvements at Washington Blvd and N Nelson St, a RRFB crossing was installed in summer 2020, along with other crossing and curb improvements, to create a safer environmental for pedestrian and motorists on this segment of the roadway.
| Installed RRFB Locations |
| 7th St S and Tyrol Hill Park |
| Arlington Mill Dr and S Quincy St |
| Carlin Springs and 8th Rd S |
| Columbia Pike and S Oakland St |
| Crystal Dr and Mt Vernon Trail Stub |
| George Mason and 4th St N |
| Lee Hwy and Kenmore St |
| N Carlin Springs Rd and N Harrison St |
| N Harrison St near Lee Highway |
| N Quincy St and 15th St N |
| N Sycamore St and 17th St N |
| S Arlington Mill Dr and The Windgate |
| S Four Mile Run and S Oakland St |
| S Glebe Rd and 9th St S |
| Shirlington Rd and Four Mile Run Trl |
| Washington Blvd and 25th St N |
| Washington Blvd and N Nelson St |
| Washington Blvd and N Utah St |
| Wilson Blvd and N Kenmore St |
| Upcoming RRFB Locations |
| Fairfax Dr and N Kansas St |
| Lee Hwy and N Nelson St |
| Washington Blvd and 4th St N |
| Washington Blvd and 9th St N |
| Wilson Blvd and N Emerson St |
To understand which locations work best for RRFBs, County staff conducts on-site analysis at locations, measuring:
- Vehicle speeds
- Vehicle yielding rates to pedestrians in the crosswalk
- Pedestrian counts and characteristics, and
- Pedestrian behavior (whether they activated the RRFB)
The site observations also considered factors like speed limit, number of lanes and other context-specific information.
Arlington installed its first 2-staged crossing at S Carlin Springs and 8th Rd S as part of the S Carlin Springs Safety Measures project in summer 2020. The benefits of this 2-staged crossing design reduces crossing distance, decreases pedestrian wait time and allows pedestrians to focus on traffic one direction at a time. Learn how to safely navigate a 2-staged crossing.
