Two locations in Goleta will get an extra push toward safety with visual cues cleared to be added to existing crosswalks in an effort to alert oncoming motorists at pedestrian crossings.
The Goleta City Council approved the funding Tuesday for both a High Intensity Activated Crosswalk device to be installed at the Goleta Valley Community Center and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons to be installed at Hollister and Orange avenues.
Both locations have reported a low compliance rate of drivers yielding to pedestrians, and the existing crosswalks do not seem to capture drivers’ attention, according to the city project page.
The High Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) has lights over the lanes, but it remains dark unless someone pushes the button to cross the street. Once activated, the lights will flash yellow, then flash red and then turn a solid red. Cars must come to a full stop just as they would at any other red light, according to Valerie Kushnerov, the City of Goleta’s community relations manager.
Kushnerov said this will be the first HAWK signal within the city limits.
The engineering design, for the $133,434 project, is funded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program, Measure A and the Transportation Development Account.
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) at Hollister and Orange avenues work like the traditional flashing yellow lights, except they have a strobe effect similar to emergency vehicles. The solar-powered rectangular LED light is activated by a manual push button or by a pedestrian detection system.
The light’s purpose is to grab drivers’ attention, Kushnerov said.
The RRFB contract is set at $97,665, with a 10 percent contingency and scheduled to be finished by the end of the year. The project is funded by Measure A and Community Development Block Grant funds.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
