YORK COUNTY, Va. — A new pedestrian safety measure is in place in York County on Route 60 (Bypass Road) near Chelsea Road. It's called a HAWK signal, and it's the first of its kind in Hampton Roads.
Data provided by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) showed there were two deadly pedestrian crashes and two crashes with injuries in this corridor from 2018-2023. Another set of data recorded 55 auto accidents in the same area.
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“If it cuts down on one person getting hit by a car, then to me it's worth it, so I think it’s a great idea,” said Williamsburg resident Ruth McDowell.
For drivers, you'll see flashing yellow lights meaning someone has activated the signal. Then, you'll see solid yellow which means slow down. Solid red will be next - that means stop. Then flashing red will appear, which means you can proceed as long as no pedestrians are in the roadway.
For a pedestrian, you simply hit the crosswalk button, then you have 18 seconds once the walk sign is on to cross the road.
“There’s a lot of hotels, there’s a lot of restaurants, also some bus stops there,” said VDOT spokesperson Tim Kelley. "It’s important to provide people in this particular corridor an opportunity to safely cross the roadway.”
The HAWK signal went into operation on Jan. 25.
