Students and other pedestrians will soon have an easier time crossing state Route 503 near Prairie High School.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) plans to build a high-intensity activated crosswalk (HAWK) pedestrian signal to make crossing the highway to and from Prairie High and the nearby transit stop safer.
After a 14-year-old student was struck by a vehicle while crossing SR 503 near Prairie High School in 2023, WSDOT worked with school administrators to conduct surveys to identify the best location for another controlled crossing, according to a news release. The new crossing will be located just south of Northeast 116th Street, immediately east of the high school. It will also include a refuge island to give pedestrians a safe place to wait at the half-way point before completing their crossing, according to a news release.
“We’re excited to bring this safety improvement project so students can get to school more safely,” WSDOT Transportation Engineer Jacob Whitfield said in the release. “We’re looking forward to adding another crossing option across SR 503 to better serve the area, while also keeping drivers moving.”
This $1.1 million project is slated to begin and complete construction in early 2025.
According to the news release, the HAWK signal is a traffic control device that makes pedestrian travel safer, without holding up traffic. It is different from a traditional traffic signal as it is only activated when someone pushes the crossing button. When there are no pedestrians, vehicles can move without interruption.
An activated HAWK signal will operate in a sequence of flashing lights, according to the release. When drivers see the lights, they should treat them like any other traffic signal: slowing on yellow and stopping on solid red. When the signal is flashing red, drivers should stop and proceed through the crossing area only if it is safe to do so without posing any risk to pedestrians.
Pedestrians can switch on the HAWK signal by pushing the button at either end of the crossing. The lights on the pedestrian signal will show when it is safe to cross. A visual traffic signal benefits both drivers and pedestrians in helping determine who has the right of way and when it’s safe to proceed, according to the news release.
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