GREENFIELD — Greenfield will have five pedestrian-friendly crosswalk signals in and around downtown by 2024.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization last week awarded $55.5 million in federal funds for 28 transportation projects throughout the organization’s eight-county Central Indiana region.
The MPO granted Greenfield $480,894 in federal funds to cover 90 percent of the $534,436 crosswalk project. The remaining $53,436 will come from local funds.
Jason Koch, the city’s engineer, said the traffic beacons, called a High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk, or HAWK, are planned for installation at the intersections of the Pennsy Trail at Franklin Street, State Street and Morristown Pike; and also the intersection of the city’s living alley at Main Street and the future Riley Literary Trail at State Street. The crosswalks are planned to go to bid by 2024, Koch said.
The five intended spots for the crosswalk signals are high-traffic intersections in the city, Koch added.
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HAWK beacons are three-headed traffic signals in a triangular pattern with two red lights on top and a yellow light on bottom. The signals won’t activate unless a person presses a button on the signal pole, Koch said.
Once a pedestrian pushes the button, the yellow light will begin to flash. The yellow light will next turn solid to alert the driver to prepare to stop, similar to a typical traffic signal. The driver has to stop once both top lights turn red and when the person walks across the crosswalk. The red lights will lastly flash, which means the driver can go through the intersection if the pedestrian has made it across safely.
While drivers will see the yellow and red lights, pedestrians will look at a typical crossing signal with a hand, a person and countdown timer.
Koch said he plans to ask MPO officials to accelerate the HAWK installations if funding is available in the coming years. So instead of bidding in 2024, he wants the crosswalks by 2021.
Columbus has a few HAWK signals in the city, according to The Republic. There’s also a HAWK near IUPUI in downtown Indianapolis, according to the university’s website.
