Hybrid Beacon Pedestrian Crossings
At a glance
- What: hybrid beacon (dark until a pedestrian activates it) crossings discussed during the Police traffic enforcement communication. Related: In-Road Warning Light Crosswalks.
- Where it stands: open. On 2026-10-13 Rolle gave a timeline for the Belmont Street beacon (design November 2026, construction 2027).
- Next: King's feasibility report on a Lake Avenue pilot is pending.
Discussion
- A MassDOT hybrid beacon on Route 20 near the Price Chopper and Burlington Coat Factory plaza (per captions, after fatalities there) is operating.
- John P. Fresolo had not seen it lit, and Commissioner Stephen S. Rolle said drivers unfamiliar with the type may assume it is out.
- Rolle said the city is starting planning and design for a hybrid beacon on Belmont Street and will send a Council item soon.
- Lake Avenue has none, and the Hamilton Street intersection needs full intersection control (a signal or roundabout, design funded) after recently installed blinking pedestrian lights.
- Khrystian E. King asked for a feasibility report on a pilot on Lake Avenue near Madulka's Ice Cream (193 Lake Ave.) and a prior request near a facility needing MassDOT approval.
Status and next steps
- King's feasibility report order (13g) adopted 9/29; report pending.
- Belmont Street design under way.
- On 2026-10-13 Rolle gave a timeline for the Belmont Street beacon (design November 2026, construction 2027) and the Council adopted King's request to consider a beacon near Chandler Elementary.
Discussion time
About 9 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-13 - City Council | 8 |
| 2026-09-29 - City Council | 1 |
Log
- 2026-10-13 - City Council — Rolle told the Council (item 9.11B) the first pedestrian hybrid beacon, on Belmont Street, goes into design next month with construction late spring or summer 2027, paid for from the capital budget rather than grants. Khrystian E. King, who has pushed for beacons for three or four years, said the Route 20 beacon had just stopped a motorcycle rider, cited Federal Highway Administration figures of roughly a 70 percent drop in pedestrian crashes, and suggested Lake Avenue, Lincoln Street and Hamilton Street as candidate locations; Rolle promised a public information campaign and school coordination. King's motion that the City Manager coordinate with the schools on notification was adopted 11-0; he also asked for a hybrid beacon near Chandler Elementary (114 Chandler St.), adopted 11-0 (see School Safety Audit and School Zones).
- 2026-09-29 - City Council — Raised in the Police traffic enforcement item (8.13A); King's feasibility order adopted; Rolle described Belmont Street and Lake/Hamilton plans.