Pedestrians at Foothill College may soon find themselves in the spotlight. The California State Department of Transportation recently approved the installation of new crosswalks with strobe lights at the Los Altos Hills campus.
Tom Conom, Foothill District police chief, said the Foothill-De Anza Community College District is among the first in California to receive approval for the crosswalks, which are equipped with a strobe light that flashes when a pedestrian steps into the road to alert motorists that a person is crossing. Conom said district officials plan to install four of 10 crosswalks in July.
Manufactured by LightGuard in Santa Rosa, the crosswalks will cost between $7,000 and $10,000 depending on whether the models installed will feature an automatic strobe or a manual one. Conom said revenues from school parking permits will be used to fund the purchase and installation of the crosswalks.
The installation of the crosswalks comes at a time when school officials have been working to alleviate traffic hazards. Conom said there is still an ongoing conflict with pedestrians and traffic.
"It's important for pedestrians to be careful. We hope this will heighten motorist awareness. The (crosswalks) are especially effective at night," Conom said.