New signal for pedestrian/bike crossing in Crystal Lake

Motorists who use Ackman Road between Randall and Golf Course roads in Crystal Lake should be on the lookout for a new pedestrian/bike crossing signal recently installed at the intersection of Ackman Road and Westport Ridge.

The McHenry County Division of Transportation and the City of Crystal Lake and its Traffic Safety Committee worked together to locate Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, a new safety device, to make crossing Ackman Road safer for pedestrians and bikes.

Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons are traffic safety warning devices that use LED lights to emit rapid flashing, wigwag, lights to drivers to alert them of the presence of pedestrians/bikers in the crosswalk.

It is important to know that RRFBs are not traffic control devices but, rather, are advanced safety features that help pedestrians/bikers alert motorists to their presence within the crosswalk. The lights are activated via push button used by the pedestrian as they begin to cross the roadway. Pedestrians are expected to wait until there is a sufficient gap in traffic before entering the crosswalk and use caution when doing so.

The LED lights are timed to allow enough time for the pedestrians to completely cross the roadway. Drivers are expected to follow state law and yield to pedestrians that are in the crosswalk.

As part of the McHenry County 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan, one of the county's major goals is to make transportation safer for all users.

Projects such as these are being implemented to help bring the county closer its goal of having zero fatal collisions in the county, as no number of fatal crashes should be deemed acceptable.

For more information on the nationwide effort Toward Zero Deaths on our nations roadways, go to www.TowardZeroDeaths.org.