Gridlock Guy: Pedestrian crossing lights ensure safety in busy areas

I got this email the other day from a reader and it stumped me:

Doug,

There is a Taco Market on Buford Highway at Northeast Plaza. In front of it is a newish Buford Highway crossing site. Walkers press a button and cars stop to let them cross. I drive that way all of the time. What is the law? I sit there for nobody much of the time. Either the person crossed and is now at QuikTrip and I am still sitting at the red crossing light or something sets it off and no human is even around. I stop and wait for no one. I am afraid to drive through the light.

What are drivers to do? Once the person has crossed the street, can we drive or do we have to sit through the whole cycle wasting gas and time? Please explain the laws regarding these crosswalk lights.

Thanks in advance,

Karen

First, let me explain what these signals are. The HAWK (High-intensity Activated crossWalK) Pedestrian System is a light and beacon system made for crosswalks that aren’t at traffic signals. This offers pedestrians more chances to cross the street safely and conveniently, without jaywalking or walking too far out of their way.

The system turns the light solid yellow to warn drivers to slow down as pedestrians activate the lights to wait to cross. Then the lights flash yellow right before they cross and warn drivers that they are about to have to stop.

I reached out to a friend in the Brookhaven Police Department, who directed me to the city’s Facebook page, describing what drivers are to do at different lights. Drivers obviously are to slow and prepare to stop at yellow lights. But Karen’s question addresses the red lights. When the red lights are solid red, motorists always stay stopped. When the lights begin flashing red, the lights begin flashing to tell motorists to proceed with caution if the crosswalk is clear. The flashing red lights also correspond with the familiar flashing red hand, showing the pedestrians crossing that the lights allowing them to cross are about to change.

While pedestrians always have right of away and motorists should do the safe thing and yield for them, Brookhaven had this message for those crossing the street.

“Pedestrians should take note that, during peak traffic hours, the signals are linked to traffic lights and may prompt you to wait for a safe time to cross,” the post said. They wisely sync up the lights, so traffic in rush hour isn’t constantly interrupted for people to cross the street. But Brookhaven and GDOT have also made things more efficient for those crossing the street, the Facebook post said, “The signals now also stop traffic on both sides of the road, so pedestrians can cross in a single movement instead of stopping in the center median.”

The crosswalk that has caught Karen is Buford Highwy at North Cliff Valley Way and it is a busy area. Northeast Plaza has many shops and restaurants and the QT always draws plenty of business. Buford Highway has long been one of the most dangerous areas to cross the street. It’s three lanes in each direction, with a turn lane in the middle. Just having to cross three or six lanes, instead of two, increases someone’s chances of being hit. So many people on Buford Highway are crossing between stores and apartments and the added lanes also mean that vehicles are coming at a faster rate. So having these HAWK signals available to allow more people to cross in more places safely is a good move.

Now that we know the rules, we can drive - and walk - through the area more safely.