Imagine every time a vulnerable road user approached a crosswalk, it automatically detected them and activated the system's various safety measures — including a camera to provide you with footage to continuously improve safety. But in today's day and age of technology, it's no longer something you have to imagine — in fact, today's smart crosswalks are making all of this a possibility.
And it's not a moment too soon. Ensuring vulnerable road users’ ability to safely navigate crosswalks has become more important now than ever. While pedestrian fatalities have decreased slightly since 2022, preliminary 2024 numbers still remain 48% higher than ten years ago (GHSA). With factors that include a drop in enforcement, road design, a lack of pedestrian infrastructure and larger vehicles, it’s important to continue investing in vulnerable road user safety. And, that’s where smart crosswalk technology comes in.
What is a Smart Crosswalk?
Unlike traditional crosswalks — which simply feature LED enhancements to alert drivers or even just static signage — smart crosswalks layer a variety of smart technology to create a safer environment, targeting specific pedestrian issues like nighttime visibility and crossing without push button activation. Smart enhancements range from crosswalk illumination to crosswalk cameras.
Smart crosswalks also feature smart city software, providing remote visibility into your network of crosswalk systems — saving time and resources when it comes to checking system status and health, collecting data and more.
What Are the Top Benefits of a Smart Crosswalk?
1. Smart Enhancements
Crosswalk Illumination
76% of pedestrian fatalities occur at night — making it necessary to implement dedicated measures to counter the issue of nighttime visibility (FHWA). And in a recent Insurance Institute of Highway Safety study, triggered illuminators were found to increase driver yield rates by over three times as much.
That’s why crosswalk illuminators like SafeWalk® are one of three layers of smart technology in our smart crosswalk portfolio. When the system is triggered during dusk-to-dawn hours, SafeWalk® activates in tandem with the system’s other safety features. Plus, it’s possible to customize the illuminator based on the number of lanes, as well as adjust lighting levels — all from a smarty city platform.
Passive Detection
Camera Capture
While it’s possible in some cases to gain insights from system data, it’s hard to know exactly how your crosswalks are working without a visual. But with smart enhancements like crosswalk cameras, you can see firsthand how vulnerable road users and vehicles are interacting with your crosswalks — as well as confirm that your safety measures are working as intended. Upon system activation, the camera begins capturing the crosswalk event, sending still images and downloadable video clips to your connected smart city platform for review.
2. Low Cost and Low Power Options
To fit the needs of communities everywhere, smart crosswalks are engineered to be both low-power and adaptable. With flexible power options like solar panels, it’s possible to reduce installation costs and expand coverage to more locations across any community. This means smart crosswalks can be deployed to enhance vulnerable road user safety not only in heavily trafficked urban areas, but also in rural areas where resources are limited and pedestrian infrastructure is needed.
Because these systems require less power with energy-efficient enhancements and can be supported by solar options, agencies can bypass costly expenses from trenching and electrical work that are often required for AC-powered crosswalks. Not only does this keep systems budget-friendly up front, but it also minimizes long-term maintenance expenses. The result? Cost-effective pedestrian measures that allow agencies to stretch their budget further and impact more crosswalk locations in the community.
3. Smart City Software
With any network of smart crosswalks, it’s important to be able to efficiently manage your systems and their enhancements. TAPCO’s smart crosswalks automatically come equipped with our smart city platform, Smart Hub. But what are the benefits of smart city software, anyway?
Not only do smart city platforms provide remote visibility into your systems, but they also offer a variety of other capabilities including data collection, scheduling, reporting and even SMS and email alerts in the event of a knockdown or a change in system status. This allows you to save time and resources when it comes to checking on and managing your systems.
Plus, it’s possible to manage each smart crosswalk’s deployed enhancements directly within the platform. Adjust SafeWalk® lighting levels, customize passive detection zones and view captured activation events — all easily with smart city software.
As communities continue to address the growing needs of vulnerable road users, smart crosswalks offer a practical, cost-effective investment to not only take crosswalk safety to new heights, but also further equip agencies with the tools to continue making informed decisions. By combining several layers of smart technology, smart crosswalks make it easier than ever to protect vulnerable road users.
Whether you’re new to smart infrastructure or are putting together plans to upgrade your community’s crosswalks, TAPCO experts are available to help every step of the way, with dedicated assistance available to assess your community’s crosswalk needs. Get in touch with us today to discuss your vulnerable road user concerns and safety needs.