HAWK beacon

The purpose of a HAWK beacon is to allow protected pedestrian crossings, stopping vehicular traffic only as needed.

After being inspired by a trip to Bristol where he saw a pelican crossing, he developed a prototype and his wife suggested the abbreviation HAWK.

At the time, United States transportation agencies that wanted to use the HAWK signal were required to obtain interim approval from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The pedestrian signal heads operate normally, displaying an upraised hand (don't walk) aspect during the time that vehicles have the right of way.

When the beacon has not been activated, some drivers have acted as if the signal is dark due to a power outage, but that has not been experienced by all jurisdictions with HAWKs in operation.

[7] Additionally, motorists sometimes remain stopped during the flashing red phase when the crosswalk is clear due to the similarity to a railroad crossing signal.

[10] HAWK signals were widely adopted in Phoenix, Arizona starting in 2018, resulting in significantly fewer crashes and fatalities citywide.

[11] The design and operation of the HAWK beacon/crossing differs materially from the meanings and operation of the same signal aspects when used in other contexts, and thus may be unintuitive to drivers unfamiliar with them: The alternating flashing red aspect used with the HAWK beacon has a different meaning than that of other traffic control devices.