To launch crosswalk beacons aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety, Modesto chose an area of heavy foot traffic: 16th Street at H and I streets, on both ends of the Modesto Certified Farmers Market.
In April, the city installed High Intensity Activated Crosswalk beacons, traffic signal devices to help drivers and pedestrians avoid collisions. Though the acronym doesn’t match the name, they’re called HAWK beacons.
The devices have the same features as a typical crosswalk beacon, which include a push button to walk, a green display of a stick figure when it’s clear to do so, and a timer counting down to a red warning hand…