Motorists and pedestrians will notice a new kind of traffic signal on Main Street in Williamsville beginning Monday, November 19. The HAWK (High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk) signal is in front of the Williamsville Library, allowing pedestrians to cross safely mid-block.

The HAWK signal is designed to control both vehicle and pedestrian traffic outside of a normal crosswalk. The signal is activated when a pedestrian pushes a button and remains dark otherwise. Once the button is pushed:

• A single yellow light begins to flash, then stays steady, warning motorists to be prepared to stop.
• After the steady yellow light, two red lights will be steady – telling the motorists to stop and the pedestrian is safe to cross.
• After several seconds, the red lights will alternate flashing, meaning motorists must stop, and then may proceed if the crosswalk is clear. 
• The HAWK signal will then again go dark, until another pedestrian engages the button.
• Pedestrians will see a hand signal and then a countdown when it is safe to cross the street, much like a regular crosswalk.

Walkable Williamsville has a graphic depicting what the signal looks like to motorists and pedestrians here.

NHSTA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has found that more than 75 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur at non-intersection locations, and vehicle speeds are often a major contributing factor. That is why AAA Western and Central New York believes this new HAWK signal will be essential to keeping pedestrians and motorists safe on Main Street.

The first HAWK signal was installed on Sheridan Drive in Tonawanda in 2016. Others are located on Kenmore Avenue in Buffalo and on Ridge Road in Lackawanna.