SR 500/162nd Ave to 166th Ave – Safe Routes to School

Project overview

Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor, Thompson Bros. Excavating, successfully constructed a new shared-use path on the south side of State Route 500, also known as Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard, between Northeast 162nd and Northeast 166th avenues, allowing those who bike, walk or roll to travel safely to school.

The Safe Routes to Schools Program is designed to improve safety for children as they walk and roll to school. Funding from this program is for projects within two miles of primary, middle and high schools.

What to expect

Families in the Orchards neighborhood in Vancouver now have a safer path for walking, biking or using mobility devices to travel to school. WSDOT recently activated the HAWK signal as the final phase of the recently constructed shared-use path.

What is a HAWK signal
The HAWK (High intensity Activated crossWalk) signal is a traffic control device used to facilitate safer pedestrian crossings without disrupting traffic flow. Unlike a traditional traffic signal, a HAWK signal is activated and operates only when a pedestrian pushes the crossing button. When there are no pedestrians, vehicles move without interruption.

An activated HAWK signal will operate in a sequence of flashing lights. When drivers encounter the lights, they should treat them just like any other traffic signal (see maps & drawings tab for visual). During the flashing red interval, drivers should stop and then proceed through the crossing area only if it is completely safe to do so without posing any risk to pedestrians.

Pedestrians can activate the HAWK signal by pushing the button at either end of the crossing. The lights on the pedestrian signal will indicate when it is safe to cross. A visual traffic signal aids both drivers and pedestrians in determining when it’s safe to proceed along their chosen route.