HAWK beacons
(Discord - 2025/03/15 through 2025/10/17)
HAWK beacons
(Discord - 2025/03/15 through 2025/10/17)
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)
↓ (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
↓ (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