Part of the ongoing design and implementation of the Fourth Avenue Bike Boulevard project is making the pedestrian HAWK signal more bicycle friendly.
The above sign along Ft. Lowell precedes the crossing. The idea is to alert motorists that both pedestrians and bicyclists will use the light.
The signs are in addition to the pavement marking showing cyclists they should ride on the sidewalk to activate the signal.
The city also added these signs on the signal itself.
Tom Thivener said the city is waiting on a custom sign that will hang over the lights that will include a photo of a bike and a pedestrian and merely say crossing.
These signs are in addition to the pavement markings indicating cyclists should ride up on the sidewalk to activate the signal.
That yellow sign looks like it’s saying I should dismount, leave my bike there, and walk across the street. Just sayin’
Whenever I come to this intersection, I just wait for the coast to be clear so I can just pedal across Fort Lowell. I seldom bother with the traffic-stopper signal.
I have an aversion for unnecessarily stopping traffic, too. Cyclists can be ticketed for not using the signals at TOUCANs (like at University & Stone). I don’t know if it’s the same at these HAWKs.
I like this sign for its educational feature lettimg cars know bikes can use crosswalks.
Long-held misconceptions like bikes belonging in the ‘bike lane’ could be similarly addressed with appropriately placed ‘BIKES MAY USE FULL LANE signage.
It’s too bad Arizona doesn’t require drivers to review traffic laws via license renewal every four years, but the repetitve nature of signage might actually be better.
Way to go, adding to the confusion around the city. As a cyclist first and a driver second, I also have an aversion to stopping traffic unnecessarily. Just use the roadway like a normal moving vehicle.
Cyclists should dismount and walk if they are going to use a crosswalk. Not pedal across.
For cyclists, the signs may not be so clear, but for drivers, I think it’s good. Anything that makes drivers think about cyclists (and it seems some drivers need to be made to think of cyclist) is good. As an occasional driver, I have no problem having to slow down or stop for pedestrians or cyclists. In fact, I’m all for slowing down traffic. It’s been shown that slowing down traffic improves safety for everyone.
The TOUCANs are designed for riding through. This modified HAWK and the rest of the crosswalks in town, I don’t think dismounting is required. It would be the courteous thing to do if there were a lot of pedestrians crossing. But, if we are talking to just satisfy some driver’s sensitivities, then I’d pedal through every time. It would also be an unnecessary delay.
The slowing traffic is something my wife and I have been talking about lately. When I rode in SF it was much more comfortable even though there were less facilities for cyclists. I think it was because the traffic was moving so much slower.
We’ve been noticing regardless of how much space a car gives us, we always feel safer when the car is moving slower.
If they are going 50 miles per hour and give us the 8 feet, it feels worse than getting 3 feet at 30 miles per hour.
These types of improvements aren’t really done for you or I. They are done for the newer cyclists who don’t feel comfortable crossing 5 lanes without a light.
I’m much more likely to use the crossings when I’m with my daughter and wife than I am on my own. The Ft. Lowell crossing isn’t bad and many people could do it without the light.
I wouldn’t want to try crossing Speedway without the light on Treat, however.
Toucans have stop signals. If you cross against the light you’ve just disobeyed a traffic signal. Hawks have pedestrian do not walk signals. I imagine pedestrians cannot cross against the signal and I would venture a guess this would apply to a bicycle in the crosswalk. If you are at the hawk in the roadway and traffic clears and you cross you’d be the same as any vehicle and I hope you wouldn’t be cited for failure to obey a traffic control device.