ALACHUA COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – This National Pedestrian Safety Month, Alachua County students and parents alike can have some extra peace of mind with the recent installation of Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at three school crosswalks.
Last week, the Alachua County Public Works Department’s Road and Bridge Division installed RRFBs in front of Lake Forest Elementary School (LFES), Kanapaha Middle School (KMS) and Eastside High School (EHS). Each crosswalk has two RRFBs – one on each side of the street – with solar-powered flashing LED lights.
Pedestrians and bicyclists can push a button to indicate they want to cross. Then, the LED lights on both sides of the street will flash for 20 seconds, alerting drivers to stop.
Under Florida law, drivers must stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk when the lights are flashing. The Public Works Department hopes these RRFBs will improve pedestrian safety near schools.
Only two crosswalks were supposed to receive RRFBs this year due to recent inflation, according to Alachua County Assistant Public Works Direct Brian Kauffman. Each crosswalk upgrade cost the Public Works Department $25,000. However, the department used County staff to do the construction, allowing enough funds for a third crosswalk.