By james art 
High-intensity-activated intensity-or hawk-beacon is new to Wilmington. Unlike other pedestrian lights, such as the flashing yellow beacon on the streets of the southern third and AN, the hawk turns yellow to red.
As an example, there is already one on Wridtsville beach.
One of the neighborhoods insisting on this is Carolina Plaper Ordrum, which surrounds Wallace ParkS They began a petition to the City Council a decade ago after killing accidents.
Laura Trovet has lived in her house near Market Street since 1996 – and was one of the defenders who push for Hawk Beacon, starting in the middle to the end of 2010.
“There are only many problems that hear about young families trying to cross the street with a stroller and almost be hit, and this is heartbreaking. I want to say that many people are hurt, so I think we have all felt that it is in the interest of public safety to have a safe way to navigate our neighborhood, “she said.
Financing Priorities
Jonathan Jesup is another protector of the neighborhood.
“Laura and I went to a few meetings in the city center to meet people. And we knew that at that time we were talking about the fact that it was still a throw whether the city would do it or not. And it was also quite obvious that it would take a while, “he said.
And it happened – and part of the wait was to decide that Hawk’s beacon was the right device, and then there was a piece of funding.
The project is planned for $ 365,763. $ 160,000 are funded through Wilmington Planning Organization Or WMPO – the city of Wilmington provided the rest. Hawk Beacon will be part of the future of the city DowntownAccording to WMPO officials.
Another part of the project costs will mean that the 21st will be turned into a one-way south of the Wolcot market.
Triven remembers that in his conversations with urban officials around 2017, it is said that the hawk beacon is part of the Market Street Diet Plan.
The diet is included in WMPO 2045 Cape Feer Pay plan plan – But it depends on the financing of the project for the expansion of Independence Boulevard, which would cost $ 151.4 million. It is estimated that the phases of the Market Street Road diet will cost about $ 6.8 million.
Now Jesup lives in Charlotte, where he said hawks are popping up everywhere.
“This will be a new pair of Wilmington shoes, so they will have to get into how to use this device. Education is paramount, “he said.
Using a hawk beacon, what happens when motorists do not comply
Lieutenant Greg Willet of the Wilmington Police Department said he believes that motorists will understand how it works because it looks like a simple stop.
“The motor vehicle is obliged by the law to stop and give way to the road to you if you are already at the intersection, and I think that with this hawk system the city buys, it clears it a lot,” he said.
Willet said he supported the city’s investment in measures to calm traffic and pedestrians and bicycles.
“As much as I remember my entire career, we have always had more people killed in traffic incident A crime, ”he said.
The Ministry of Transport in North Carolina Interactive map For pedestrian crashes and cyclists, they show four major injuries from cars that hit the cyclists at this intersection. They were in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2021.
And if the driver was blowing through the hawk, Willet said it would be the same violation as the release of red light. He also warns pedestrians and cyclists to use situational awareness of intersection.
“Yes, the Hawk system is great – it will be up and will show red light, but it only works when people consider, and it only works when people pay attention and as a pedestrian you will always go to a loss battle against a two -ton car,” Willet said.
He added that many of the accidents he saw were either because of the driver’s damage or because they were distracted using a mobile phone that he wanted to remind the public that the text during driving was illegal.
“Many of these victims are completely preventable. Yes, many fatal catastrophes, whether they include a pedestrian or other vehicle, include some disability. And to opt for the wheel is one of the most predoted things you can do, “he said.
As for other rules for The Hawk Beacon, he wants to remind cyclists that I have to get off my bikes and get through.
Regarding motorists who are in a hurry, he and Wilmington police have learned that it makes no sense to exceed acceleration.
“Everyone is in a hurry and the truth is told and I do not know that you can convince enough people in this, you don’t go anywhere faster by driving quickly. Believe me, it will bring you a traffic light at Wilmington. Traffic overload will bring you. You will not get there faster, ”Willet said.
The future of public transport investment?
Jesop quotes this to Charlotte Vision Zero Plan and Latest Bond initiatives The fact that voters continue to approve of why there are so many hawks and other devices in Charlotte that calm traffic. The last time Wilminton supports a transport bond It was in 2014S
As a former resident of Wilmington and now Charlotte, he offers a perspective between the two cities.
“Charlotte is a place where people move to work; Wilmington is a place where many people move to retire, and the last thing you want to do is make your taxes become more bigger when you are retired. So this works against Wilmington, on school bonds, for any other type of bonds trying to offer, is that people who are in retirement are not retired because they want to maintain their taxes low, “he said.
Trivet said he hoped a new generation would take his mantle in continuous advocacy for the safety of the neighborhood, more special when it comes to watching how well the motorists adapt to the beacon.
“I want to say that I became a kind of cynical and burned, and I hope that the new people who move in the neighborhoods that are younger have the spark to maintain it because it is a long way,” she said.