Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHB)

Purpose

A pushbutton activated beacon-controlled crossing that provides a protected walk phase for pedestrians and/or bicyclists.

Description

Beacons at major street crossing locations that remain dark until a pedestrian or bicyclist activates it via a pushbutton. When a pedestrian presses the pushbutton, the beacon turns yellow and then red to give people walking, rolling, and biking the right of way. Also called High Intensity Activated Crosswalks (HAWKs).

Safety Benefits

Provides a safe opportunity for people to cross a busy road between signalized intersections.
Reduces “multiple-threat crashes.” These crashes occur when a vehicle on a multi-lane road stops for a crossing pedestrian and another vehicle coming from the same direction in the adjacent lane strikes the pedestrian. (See the Definitions appendix).

Street Types and Context

Applicable Street Types

All Principal and Minor Arterial streets.

Other Location Guidance

Are only placed at midblock locations. PHBs can also be used:

Outside of turn lanes,
Along trails that cross a major road,
Where traffic signals do not meet Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) warrants, and
Where there is >1 lane per direction and daily traffic volume >9,000.

Primary User Groups

Key Implementation Considerations

Beacons are preferably placed above the crosswalk, rather than the side of the road.
Beacons are preferably placed at mid-block locations rather than intersections to avoid confusion and right of way for vehicles on side streets.
Most effective when vehicle speeds are too high or gaps in traffic are too infrequent for pedestrians to cross safely.
PHBs are not common; consider outreach efforts when implementing a PHB to educate drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
Given the relatively higher cost to implement PHBs and potential confusion they may cause, consider implementing a pedestrian signal within the context of the potential project.

Expected Crash Reduction

55% for vehicle-pedestrian crashes (Zegeer et al. 2017).

Cost