New pedestrian warning light system up on Warm Springs, outside Green Valley High School

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - People have complained about fast moving traffic and cars that don’t slow down or stop for students, on Warm Springs Road at Green Valley High School in Henderson. Green Valley High special needs teacher Phillip Postier is one of them. Cell phone video he provided to FOX5 shows a truck slam on its brakes and slide through a crosswalk, as Postier’s class tried to cross Warm Springs.

“We had received concerns from citizens over a period of time and we decided to go out and study it and it turned out there were enough students,” said City of Henderson Traffic Engineer Eric Hawkins.

The city just put up a new pedestrian warning light system where many students cross on Warm Springs. Students, or anyone crossing, presses a button to activate the lights. Hawkins says people must stop when the light is solid red.

“Now that the light’s up there, it’s made an extreme difference. People actually stop instead of just slowing down and rolling passed,” said Phillip Postier.

The system is called a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, a study in 2010 found the beacons can reduce pedestrian crashes by 69 percent and total crashes by 29 percent. The administration said because the devices remain dark until activated, they can help increase driver attention to pedestrians crossing the roadway and can reduce rear end collisions.

Some people who are fed up with gas prices may find some comfort in knowing state gas tax money paid for the system. Money specifically for Southern Nevada said Hawkins. He said the original cost estimate was about $500,000.

The city of Henderson says similar pedestrian warning systems are also up at Valley Verde Drive, north of Wigwam and on College Drive south of Heather.

More information on how the lights work can be found here.

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