Crosswalk signal on Rt 27.jpeg

A woman crosses Route 27 in Iselin at a pedestrian beacon. The lack of a green light has confused drivers about when they can legally proceed. (Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

When is a traffic light not quite a traffic light? When it is something called a pedestrian beacon, which stops traffic to allow a person to cross a busy street or highway.

The pedestrian beacon looks different than a standard traffic light, because it has two red lights, an amber light, but it doesn't have a green light. And that brought a question from a reader. Does a driver have to wait for all the red lights to shut off before they can legally proceed?

Here's how the beacon works. When a pedestrian pushes a button to cross the street, the amber lights on the beacon start to flash and then turn a solid amber to warn drivers to prepare to stop, said Dan Triana, a state Department of Transportation spokesman.

Then, two red lights on the top of the beacon go on, to allow the pedestrian to cross the street. Those red light lights will flash and then go off, he said.

And that's what is confusing drivers.

"My take is to go, when the pedestrian has left the crosswalk and no others are present or ready to cross," one reader wrote. "Some drivers sit and wait for all the red (lights) to go off."

Q: When is it legal for drivers to proceed? Do drivers have to wait for the red lights to stop flashing?

A: Under state law, vehicles must stop when drivers see that both lights are solid red, Triana said. The red lights will start flashing. But if a pedestrian has already crossed in front of the stopped vehicles and has reached the middle of the furthest lane from them, then drivers can go through the flashing red lights, he said.

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Why didn't the DOT use a conventional traffic light that is universally understood?

Triana said the pedestrian beacon is more efficient and safer.

"Under a full signal, the red remains steady throughout the entire crossing. With the hybrid beacon, vehicles can continue on the flashing red, if safe to do so," he said.



The DOT has an online brochure that explains how the beacon works.

Have a question about something you've seen on the road or while riding mass transit? Ask us. We've answered previous questions about why some football fans can't get a direct train ride to MetLife stadium and when is a trailer too big for the Garden State Parkway. What's your question?

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

