How will strobe lights stop drivers as walkers cross Hilton Head’s 8-lane highway?

Hilton Head pedestrians too often face a stressful gambit of dodging vehicles in their attempt to navigate across a dangerous island highway. At a pair of busy intersections, all of that may be about to change.

With Hilton Head recently spending $3.1 million to make U.S. 278 traffic lights smarter in an effort to get traffic on and off island more efficiently, there is also a focus on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. To address these concerns, push-button or motion-activated crosswalks are being installed with state-of-the-art technology in lighting and safety features.

Hilton Head Island has numerous crosswalks along the highway — locally known as William Hilton Parkway — without traffic lights. Traffic engineers call these dangerous stretches of open road “non-signalized intersections.” The current condition of these crosswalks, marked with yellow pedestrians street signs and striped pavement don’t offer walkers much protection from the traffic whipping by at 45 mph or more.

To assist pedestrians as they encounter the busy roadway, improvements are underway to a pair of non-signalized intersections in this heavily populated area full of apartments and government housing where pedestrian and cycling traffic is highest. These pair — Palmetto Parkway and Northridge Drive — offer walkers a more direct route for shopping and groceries.

What are RRFBs and how will they help?

The new technology in pedestrian safety include RRFBs or Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons the town is currently installing at Palmetto Parkway and Northridge Drive crosswalks on William Hilton Parkway.

The project is funded by a $600,000 intergovernmental agreement with county funding and traffic impact fee dollars. Additional costs for landscaping and other improvements are being paid for by the town.

“We are around a million dollar range of improvements that are going to be made to this total area, to help to help improve safety.” said Jim Iwanicki, Town of Hilton Head Island’s Transportation Program Manager.

When the project is complete, pedestrians and cyclists will encounter a two-stage system as they approach the eight lanes of highway traffic. Poles positioned along both sides of William Hilton Parkway will have buttons to activate the RRFBs, which are high-intensity yellow and white lights that flash, alerting drivers that walkers are entering the crosswalk.

When the traffic stops, pedestrians can walk to the median for refuge and find another button to activate the RFFBs for the second crossing.

State law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians within a crosswalk.

Beaufort County Sheriff PJ Tanner cautions that pedestrians shouldn’t just push the button and freely walk onto U.S. 278. “The system can slow traffic and a lot of people will come to a complete stop and allow them to cross, but I don’t want pedestrians to take it for granted that’s going to happen.” “You’ve got to be patient if you’re wanting to cross. Not only the walking public, but the motoring public.” Tanner said reinforcing that these crosswalks require two-way awareness and cooperation from both vehicle drivers and the walking public.

Even with a state law requiring drivers to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalks, he echoed concerns that folks on foot still need to be alert and wary of the vehicle traffic as they approach these busy intersections.

Speed is a factor

A South Carolina Department of Transportation speed study completed in September 2018 found that the average speed of drivers on the highway was 49 mph.

On U.S. 278, from Beach City Road to Mathews Drive, there were 414 recorded crashes from 2019-23 according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. 16 of those crashes involved a bicyclist. Seven involved a pedestrian - two of which were fatal.

Iwanicki said the town petitioned SCDOT to lower the speed to 35 mph from Beach City to Dillon roads, but the state agency said that speed was too slow, agreeing to lower the speed to 40 mph.

New signage was posted on Tuesday, Oct. 22 before the crosswalk improvements have been completed.

Lighting another factor to pedestrian safety

Hilton Head is known for maintaining its natural state when it comes to tree coverage, limited signage, color schemes and lack of street lighting.

“The pedestrian collisions in that area have, in some cases, been fatal are because someone crosses to go to the gas station that’s across the street, because they’re open late and it’s pitch black.” Tanner said.

“In order for the amber flashing lights not be a complete distraction to drivers (at night), there’s got to be sufficient lighting.” Sheriff Tanner said about the pedestrian improvements but added, “I understand Hilton Head has taken the position to have less lighting and I understand that.”

While overhead lighting won’t be used at Palmetto Parkway and Northridge Drive, Iwanicki says low-level pathway lighting, decorative pavement and road markings will be used to grab the attention of motorists.

That lack of overhead lighting was a factor in the 2018 death of Charli Bobinchuck when the eleven-year-old was killed crossing U.S. 278 near Yacht Cove with an adult. Her father, Bryan Bobinchuck, later spoke before town council pleading with elected officials to make changes to the island’s dark roads and crosswalks.

Just over two years later, that intersection received overhead lighting.

A step forward but an interim solution

Hilton Head Town Council is aware these intersections currently pose a danger to pedestrians and fixes are urgently needed. To those who manage traffic flows and are responsible for pedestrian safety, RRFBs provide an interim solution. “This is a big enough safety issue that we need to spend some money to make things safer now, rather than wait three to five years to do the ultimate improvement.” Iwanicki said.

This ultimate improvement could include adding traffic signals or possibly adding a high-intensity activated crosswalk similar to the one that beach goers utilize as they crossing North Forest Beach at Coligny on Hilton Head.

Sheriff: Drivers need to do their part and follow the law

Tanner is aware this approach is something untried and untested on Hilton Head Island - with its large snowbird population and a high percentage of visitors staying in short term rentals.

The sheriff acknowledges the new safety features in the crosswalks are only one part of the solution and law enforcement will monitor to ensure that the driving public is following the pedestrian safety law at the busy intersections, “once the town get it started I can have deputies spot check the intersection to see how it’s being used.”