When students return on Aug. 14 to Coyote Trail Elementary, 8000 N. Silverbell Road, they will be greeted with a shiny new HAWK signal hanging over the Silverbell crosswalk in front of the school.
The HAWK signal — for High-intensity Activated crossWalK — is a red light that flashes when traffic should stop for pedestrians.
The main reason the signal went up is to keep safe the 50 to 100 children who use the crosswalk each day while school is in session, said Scott Leska, capital improvement projects engineering division manager for the town of Marana.
With growth in the area, traffic has increased enough so "even with crossing guards there, it's become a safety issue for the children," Leska said.
Crossing guards will remain in place to help the children, he said, but now they will have aid from the signal.
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Also, all pedestrians in the area will potentially benefit from additional street lights the town is putting up on either end of the crosswalk, as well as the fact the crosswalk sign will be illuminated at night.
"It's not specifically just for the school. It's for any pedestrian that wants to access the park across the street or any of the facilities across the street," including a shared-use path along the Santa Cruz River, he said.
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