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The new HAWK crosswalk system at West Second and Washington Streets in Papillion will be active on Thursday, Sept. 1.

The new High-Intensity Activated CrossWalK or HAWK pedestrian signal at Washington and West Second Streets in downtown Papillion went into service Thursday morning.

The system has poles and mast arms like traditional traffic lights, but the signals are arranged with two red lights above and a yellow light below in a triangle-like shape. The new signals use sensors and a different style of beacon that alert drivers to pedestrians.

When the signal is unlit, traffic will pass normally until a pedestrian pushes a button to activate.

Once triggered, the bottom light flashes yellow to alert motorists. Then the light turns solid yellow, telling the drivers to get ready to stop.

The red lights on top then activate solid, indicating stop and allow pedestrians to cross, and foot-travelers will see the familiar “walk” and “don’t walk” signals. Detection sensors adjust the crossing sequence timing depending on pedestrian crossing speed.

As the crossing ends, the HAWK signal changes to flashing red to allow vehicles to pass through the intersection when clear. The signal will then return to its inactive, unlit phase.

These instructions for Papillion’s new HAWK crosswalk system at West Second and Washington Streets should alleviate motorist confusion on safety procedures. 

“This new HAWK system is going to be really intuitive,” said Trenton Albers, communications director for the City of Papillion. “There is not going to be a lot of thought needed to understand it.”

Albers said while he understands there will be a “learning curve”, there has been a lot of study to find the right system for the intersection.

Unlike a typical crosswalk, the HAWK system is designed to maximize pedestrian safety while allowing for the smooth flow of traffic. The signal is connected to the 84th Street Adaptive Signal Control Technology System, which enhances traffic flow from Lincoln Street in Papillion to Center Street in Omaha. An estimated 30,000 plus vehicles uses 84th Street daily.

A 2010 study by the Federal Highway Administration found vehicle/pedestrian crashes were reduced by 69% with the HAWK system.

“We are looking forward to this enhancement,” Albers said. “Hopefully, this will make crossing the street mundane and boring.”

The $214,000 project is the latest step in a years-long effort to increase pedestrian safety in the area, which has included in-ground lighting, vehicle speed-detection warning signs, police enforcement and flashing crosswalk signals in the last decade alone.

After 10-year-old Abby Whitford was fatally injured while crossing the street on her way to the Sump Library in August 2019, the city took yet another step of bolting yellow crosswalk yield signs to the street.

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The new HAWK crosswalk system at West Second and Washington Streets in Papillion will be active on Thursday, Sept. 1.

These instructions for Papillion’s new HAWK crosswalk system at West Second and Washington Streets should alleviate motorist confusion on safety procedures. 

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