HAWK beacons
(Discord - 2025/03/15 through 2025/10/17)
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i think we should get rid of HAWK beacons
i think we should get rid of HAWK beacons
no one understands them
very confusing
no one listens to them
pedestrians don't bother with 'em
flashes red like a railroad crossing (big no-no)
[Also, it's dark on approaching it, which for most signals means "power cut, take extreme caution, treat like stop sign". Yes, I know it's technically a 'beacon', not a 'signal', but most beacons aren't designed and put up like normal traffic signals, with three signal sections, two signal faces, a backplate with yellow edge, red signals, etc. Yes, stop beacons exist, but those are emphasizing existing stop signs, they are not themselves the command.]
[note: this is not an original opinion. see also: https://youtu.be/d-5A2RxgvOc?si=9s650VVHF79osCzQ]
instead, use a normal traffic light
well
two options:
1. RRFB
PROS:
decently respected
effective at getting drivers attention
CONS:
not legally enforceable
[Now that I think about it, wouldn't a "STOP HERE FOR PEDESTRIANS" sign fix that?]
2. Normal traffic light
PROS:
very well respected
effective
CONS:
can leave drivers waiting for a while after pedestrian crossed
so i propose a different way to program the lights
Phase 1: Normal, no peds
light is green, red hand says fuck you to pedestrians
Phase 2: Pedestrian presses "please let me cross" button
light immediately goes yellow, then red
Phase 3: Pedestrian crosses
light stays red, pedestrian walk signal lets peds cross for, say, 7 seconds, before flashing red hand and 10 second timer
Phase 4: Pedestrian maybe done crossing
light flashes yellow for 10-20 seconds in case any pedestrians still in crosswalk, ped hand solid red, after time done, light goes green back into phase 1
optionally accompanied by one of these signs
timing of phases can be tweaked depending on needs
pressing the "please let me walk" button again after activation will reset back to 7 seconds (for example, if a large group is crossing and it starts doing the flashing red hand, you can press the button again and it will go back to the full walk signal)
updated proposal
updated proposal
↓ (2025/09/28 - six months later) ↓
NOTE ON [my proposed signal programming]:
Ideally, with this setup, there would be a separate indication for the flashing and steady yellows (4 signals instead of 3), plus blah blah it could be revised
so instead i propose an idea that already exists and its given a small mention in the MUTCD
here is a gif of what it could look like
no greens
green is instead a flashing yellow, to warn at all times of potential pedestrians crossing
when the push button is pushed like a button, the signals turn solid yellow, then red
then the pedestrians are allowed to cross (walking white guy time and countdown may be longer in real applications)
also i dont think i knew it at the time, but there is a specific sign for extra time
example of signal with flashing yellow, steady yellow, and steady red indications
proposal visualized
proposal visualized
↓ (2025/10/17 - three weeks later) ↓
i also added stop here signs and maybe some small greenery on the right because it's a little bit of a concrete and brick jungle
no i dont know why the middle light lights up a tiny bit when the bottom ones light up, it's not like that in the pngs i inputted into ezgif
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