Rice University demonstrated its commitment to campus and community safety with the recent relocation of a crosswalk signal. Rice worked with the surrounding neighbors and the city of Houston to transfer a high-intensity activated crosswalk (HAWK) signal previously located on Sunset Boulevard in front of Congregation Emanu El to Rice Boulevard at Gate 23 near First Christian Church — an area that experiences substantially more foot traffic.
The HAWK includes a light that stops traffic when it is activated by the press of a button when pedestrians wish to cross. The new HAWK location connects a sidewalk on the Rice campus with a pedestrian path on the property of First Christian Church across the street.
The crosswalk serves as one of the connection points between the university and the Rice Graduate Apartments — a path heavily utilized by students as well as neighborhood residents who visit campus.
“We’ve been working to achieve a chain of safe crossings approximately every two blocks around the 2.9-mile campus perimeter,” said Greg Marshall, director of university relations in the Office of Public Affairs. “Even with this safety measure in place, people should always exercise caution when using all crosswalks and keep their attention on nearby motorists in case those motorists are not giving their full attention to the road.”
