A new High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) is now in operation along a Stockton residential street where neighbors have called it an "expressway" for years, with drivers speeding daily there.

A HAWK uses a unique three-light signal — two red lights and one yellow light — and high-visibility markings to alert drivers when a pedestrian is crossing. Once activated, the beacon turns red to stop traffic and create a safe crossing window. Signs, lane markings, and its distinctive light pattern all work together to warn drivers of people in the crosswalk.

The new crosswalk at Pershing Avenue and Rose Street gives people crossing the street to Victory Park around 30 seconds to pass through.

"This could save lives," said Katya Evanhoe, who lives near Pershing Avenue and raised her kids in the area.

Evanhoe and Miguel Guillen teamed up in 2018 to start Friends for a Safe Pershing Avenue. Guillen said many neighbors call the residential road in their neighborhood "The Pershing Highway."

"Children are running and playing at the park. So this is just a big step so we can safely cross over," Guillen said. "I mean, we still have to look both ways carefully."

A few days after we covered street racing problems on Pershing Avenue earlier this month, Stockton police conducted dozens of traffic stops on November 10 and November 12.

Dan Richardson, who lives on Pershing Avenue, is appreciative of the new crosswalk and hopes it brings about change.

"I know it's going to be upsetting to some people that we're going to reduce this roadway, but what they have to realize is they're driving through our neighborhood," Richardson said. "We used to have signs up. We need to get them back up. Drive like your kids are playing in this neighborhood."

Stockton was awarded a Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant in 2024 to install eight HAWKs throughout the city.

"Now we just need buy-in from the city," Evanhoe said. "The police need to be out here. It's going to be a long education period."

When I was speaking to Evanhoe, Richardson clocked a driver going 53 mph. Pershing Avenue is a 30 mph residential road.  

Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi and Councilmember Mario Enríquez, who represents the area, were there on Wednesday when the HAWK began operating and spoke with the community. Evanhoe said the community had been "badgering the city" about this issue for about seven or eight years.

"We worked a lot with our different partners, our state partners, just a lot of advocating, a lot of pushing forward, a lot of meetings to ensure that we had all the dollars necessary to make this happen," Enríquez said. "So it was a whole team effort."

Sierra Traffic Markings crew leader Hugo Mendoza and his team were on hand to work on striping the lines, filling in concrete, among other touch-up tasks, ahead of putting the HAWK into operation.

Mendoza said that when he arrived in the morning, he saw drivers "flying" by "like a racing track." He noted that the new crosswalk significantly slowed down traffic.

After neighbors gathered to see the HAWK be put into operation, some went to city hall to continue advocating for their street. There are plans in the works from Caltrans to build a roundabout on Pershing Avenue.

Although neighbors said they are grateful for this added safety, they recognize it's a piece in the puzzle. The ultimate goal, Guillen said, is to get Pershing Avenue down to one lane in each direction for additional safety.

"This has been allowed to become an expressway over the decades," Evanhoe said. "It used to be a quiet little street. What we're excited about is there's a chance that the neighborhood will get its neighborhood back."