New HAWK traffic signals in city; includes funds for Byron Highway, Vasco Road

Caltran announced Thursday, March 9, 2023, that it is awarding more than $225.6 million for local projects with $19 million in Contra Costa County designed to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries on city and county roads. Funding is provided through the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 11. In HSIP Cycle 11 Call-for-Projects, 434 applications from 206 local public agencies, requesting $521.1 million of HSIP funds, were received.  A total of 282 projects from 155 local agencies will receive HSIP funds including Contra Costa County and six of its cities.

Safety enhancements will include pedestrian crossings, bike safety improvements and new traffic signals, roundabouts, turn lanes, rumble strips and guardrails. Caltrans awards these grants every other year to cities, counties and tribal governments.

Antioch had requested $3,72,600 and was granted $3,328,000 in transportation improvement funds. They will be used to provide signal system upgrades at multiple locations and to install High Intensity Activated crossWalK (HAWK) signals at trail crossing to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety in the city. The signals do not include a green light and drivers don’t have to wait until the red light goes out. (See video of how they work).

“Safety is always Caltrans’ top priority,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “These projects will enhance systemwide safety features, including enhancing safety for people who walk and bike, and move us closer to our vision of reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries on roadways throughout the state by 2050.”

Caltrans is using the Safe System approach – which emphasizes multiple layers of protection, including safer road designs – to achieve its goal of reducing to zero the number of fatalities and serious injuries on state roadways by 2050. Caltrans’ adoption of the Safe System approach builds on its ongoing work to embed safety in the state’s transportation system, and for that reason all transportation projects the department funds or oversees now must include “complete street” features that provide safe and accessible options for people walking, biking and taking transit.

“True equity on our roads means creating safe spaces for all, where pedestrians and cyclists are valued and protected with the same care and attention as motorists, said Caltrans District 4 Director Dina El-Tawansy. “This critical funding for safety will bring us closer to achieving a sustainable and equitable transportation system for all Californians.”

District 4 includes Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties.

Projects approved in Contra Costa County include:

• $2.5M in the city of Antioch for signal system upgrades at multiple locations.
• $828,000 to install Hawk signals at trail crossings to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety in the city of Antioch.
• $1.3M for Byron Highway safety improvements.
• $715,050 for Vasco Road safety improvements in the county.
• $249,415 for the county for Walnut Boulevard bike safety improvements (near Brentwood).
• $7.4M in street lighting and safety improvements in the city of Concord. The project includes installing new lighting, upgrading existing street and intersection lighting, installing pedestrian countdown signal heads, modifying phasing to provide a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) and installing three new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) and four HAWK signals.
• $249,984 to upgrade existing uncontrolled crossing locations to enhance pedestrian safety with flashing beacon systems in the city of Concord.
• $249,480 to install bike lane buffer delineators to provide physical separation between bicycles and vehicles and install bike boxes at intersection approaches in city of Concord.
• $531,360 for traffic signal and intersection safety improvements in the city of Danville.
• $107,910 for Hartz Avenue corridor intersection safety improvements in the city of Danville.
• $445,860 for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements in the city of Moraga.
• $220,500 for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements in the city of Moraga.
• $239,040 for safety improvements on arterial roadways in the city of Pinole.
• $1.4M for Barrett Avenue Road improvements in the city of Richmond.
• $224,640 for MacDonald Avenue pedestrian crossing safety upgrades in the city of Richmond.
• $999,990 to replace guardrails in various locations throughout the county.
• $249,840 to install Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), bulb-outs and a median refuge island in the county.
• $1.1M in the county to install bike lanes by widening and restriping the roadway and installing a centerline rumble strip.

More information on the program is available at Caltrans’ HSIP page, including a full list of approved projects.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

the attachments to this post:

USDOT Fedl Hwy Admin logo

Caltrans Safe-System-Approach-Infographic

HAWK Instructions

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