People trying to cross Arrowood Road in southwest Charlotte have a new way to stop traffic. The Charlotte Department of Transportation said Friday that a new pedestrian hybrid beacon is now active on Arrowood Road at Deboer Avenue.
A new Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon is now active on Arrowood Road at Deboer Avenue! The beacon helps people cross safely and alerts drivers to slow down and stop when activated. Learn more in English, https://t.co/5yazDFaVI3, or in Spanish, https://t.co/PDpKvBvbAX. Travel safely! pic.twitter.com/dZ8ePTBeEj
— Charlotte DOT (@CharlotteDOT) October 30, 2026
The beacon is part of the city’s Arrowood Strategic Investment Area work. In a July LinkedIn post, Matt Magnasco, a City of Charlotte engineering project manager, said the Arrowood/Deboer beacon was one of his projects. He wrote that there were no pedestrian crossings on Arrowood Road between Microsoft Way and Red Oak Boulevard, which he described as roughly half a mile of four-lane divided road with a posted 45 mph speed limit. He said the new crossing would improve access to a pair of bus stops near Arrowpointe Boulevard.
How the signal works
A pedestrian hybrid beacon, sometimes called a HAWK signal, hangs over a marked crosswalk. According to the Federal Highway Administration, it has two red lights above a single yellow light. It stays dark until someone pushes the button, then runs through flashing and steady yellow and red lights that tell drivers to slow down and stop. After the person has crossed, it goes dark again.
The city’s guide to the signal puts it simply: red still means stop, yellow still means slow down, and there is no green. When the beacon is dark, drivers proceed with caution. On solid red, drivers stop and stay stopped while people are in the crosswalk. On alternating red, drivers may go ahead with caution once the crosswalk is clear. FHWA says these beacons are used where gaps in traffic are short or speed limits are above 35 mph, and it credits them with a 55% reduction in pedestrian crashes.
How to use the new signal
- Push the button and wait on the solid hand while the lights for drivers turn yellow.
- When the walking person appears, look for traffic in both directions before you step out.
- Keep going on the flashing hand. The countdown shows how much time you have left to finish crossing.
- Drivers: on solid red, stop and stay stopped. On alternating red, stop, then go with caution only if the crosswalk is clear.
Part of a larger Arrowood push
The Arrowood corridor is one of two areas in the city’s Strategic Investment Areas pilot, along with Far East-Harrisburg. WBTV reported the pilot is paid for by a $55 million bond referendum voters approved in 2024. The program bundles sidewalk, crossing, lighting and bus stop work so it can be built faster. In July, WBTV talked with Arrowood-area resident Wanda Holmes, who said she was hit by a van in 2024 while crossing Arrowood after getting off a bus.
City leaders cut the ribbon on eight finished Arrowood projects in September, Hoodline reported. The projects included a pedestrian hybrid beacon outside South Academy of International Languages on Nations Ford Road, new sidewalks on England Street and Sharon Lakes Road, and an upgraded Arrowood Road and South Boulevard intersection.
'NOT JUST PAVEMENT' 🚶♀️ | Crosswalk in front of SW Charlotte school part of pedestrian-friendly projects in Arrowood corridor.
— Queen City News (@Queen_City_News) September 4, 2026
➡️ https://t.co/VnmjKl2ejq pic.twitter.com/kN9HKfZ2rm
More work is coming. The city’s project page says a new traffic signal, with crosswalks and curb ramps on every approach, is planned at Arrowood Road and Whitehall Commons Center Drive. Construction is expected to start by the end of December. WBTV also reported that Arrowood Road at South Tryon Street is one of 10 intersections getting a red-light camera.
The work ties into Charlotte’s Vision Zero goal of ending traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. More bond money for city transportation projects is on the ballot Tuesday. Here’s our guide to Charlotte’s three bond questions.
