New Pedestrian Safety Crosswalk System Activated In Bethesda

BETHESDA, MD — Montgomery County officials unveiled a new pedestrian-activated crosswalk system Monday in an effect to reduce serious and fatal pedestrian collisions.

The High-Intensity Activated crosswalk beacon, or HAWK beacon for short, is located at the Bethesda Trolley Trail crossing at Tuckerman Lane — the site of a deadly July pedestrian crash.

"This represents the latest milestone in our efforts to increase the walkability of our communities," said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. "Our residents have a right to safe crossings as they move around the neighborhood, shop and run errands."

As the fourth traffic signal of its kind in the county, the HAWK beacon tells pedestrians when its safe to cross the street — which, in turn, tells motorists and bicyclists when to yield.

The first one was installed in 2010 on Gude Drive in Rockville.

The mid-block crossing system is activated once someone pushes a button.

First, the HAWK beacon will display flashing yellow lights — alerting oncoming traffic of a pedestrian — before turning solid yellow. The overhead lights then turn red, signaling that a pedestrian is in the crosswalk. During this time, motorists are required to stop and wait for the pedestrian to cross.

The crosswalk system is part of the county's Vision Zero plan — which aims to reduce severe and fatal collisions for drivers and their passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists by 2030.

In 2019, there have been 11 deaths and more than 570 incidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists on Montgomery County roads, according to government officials.

"As part of our ongoing effort to improve pedestrian safety, we are committed to pursuing many types of treatments that are relevant to specific road crossings," said Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin. "We have confidence in the effectiveness of the HAWK beacons and will continue to examine areas across the County where they will increase safe crossings as part of the County's Vision Zero strategy."