The Mayor Ran a Red Light?

Originally Published in the Neosho Daily News on 10-25-2013

I’ve certainly enjoyed the change in weather this week.  The smell of burning fireplaces brings back so many childhood memories for me.  While I hate the cold we see in December and January, the fall temps are my favorite.  But I digress.

I had my second opportunity to see the new signalized crosswalk at Neosho High School in action this week.  And like my recent experiences with the new “diverging diamond” interchange at I-44 and Rangeline Rd in Joplin, it was interesting to watch others react – some not knowing exactly how to proceed.  Honestly, I also found it to be down-right confusing at first myself.  Adding to the pressure this time was the presence of a Neosho PD officer sitting close by.  I certainly didn’t want to mess it up…and no one else did either!

Of course, when the lights came on and went from yellow to solid red, I stopped.  And when they changed from a solid red to a flashing red (and the crosswalk was empty), I looked both ways and proceeded through the intersection.  It was then that I saw several head turns in my direction with expressions of disbelief that I would do such a thing. “Complete disregard for the law” was the look from one motorist.  Did the mayor just run a red light?  Well, the answer was “no”, but I knew then that confusion still surrounds the new crosswalk and how it works.  If you’re one of those that’s still uncertain, I’ve got some simple tips to help you.

First off, the lights are only on when a pedestrian is present.  So unlike a traffic light, most of the time there is no light whatsoever.  When a pedestrian does walk up and request to cross, the signal needs to give drivers a bit of warning.  That warning starts with a few seconds of flashing yellow lights.  We all know what yellow lights mean.  We see them every day.  It’s the “hey, something’s coming and you better pay attention and be ready to stop” signal.  The flashing yellow then turns to solid yellow, and just like at a traffic light, a solid yellow means a red “Stop” is next.  That’s pretty straight forward.

It’s the red lights that seem to cause the most confusion – specifically, can I go if the lights are red?  The answer is – “it depends.”  When the solid red appears, it’s the universal “Stop – don’t move” signal.  Just like a standard traffic light, you stop and wait.  Regardless of how many are crossing or if they are already clear, if the light is “solid” red, you must stay stopped….period.  Again, pretty straight forward.  But what about the flashing red lights that follow?

Since different people walk at different speeds and since stopping on a major road for no reason can create congestion, the designers of the system gave drivers some latitude.  If people are still walking across, you must stay stopped.  But if the crosswalk is empty, the flashing red lights give you the ability to start moving again and proceed.  Just like when a traffic light is broken and all directions are flashing red, you pull up, stop, check for traffic and then proceed.  The same goes for drivers behind you.  They must also stop, but can proceed if the crosswalk is empty.

With anything new, it can be confusing.  And even though I knew the answer, I went back and watched a MoDOT video as I wrote this.  After a few times, it will become second nature, but until then remember these key points:

                Solid Red – stop, stay stopped, don’t proceed – period

                Flashing Red – stop, check for pedestrians, and if it’s clear, head on down the road

I’ll finish today with one more bit of info about those lights.  They are officially known as “HAWK” lights:  High intensity, Activated cross WalK.  The design was imported from Europe and adapted for crosswalk use in America.  The first was installed in Tuscon, AZ in 2000.  It was, until December 2009, categorized as “experimental” in the US.  

Until next time:  stay the course, keep the faith, and may God bless Neosho!