What action is required for a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon to change lights?

A Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) is designed specifically to enhance safety for pedestrians at crosswalks. The operation of this beacon relies on activation by the pedestrian. When a pedestrian wishes to cross a roadway, they typically push a button to activate the PHB. This action triggers the sequence that changes the lights: it goes from dark to yellow, indicating that vehicles should prepare to stop, and then to red, signaling vehicles to stop and allowing the pedestrian to cross.

This design ensures that pedestrian crossing moments are carefully controlled and only occur when a pedestrian intends to cross, thus increasing safety. The beacon remains inactivated when no pedestrians are present, minimizing unnecessary disruption to vehicle traffic.

In contrast, manual intervention from a police officer, automatic detection systems, or signals from vehicles do not play a role in the standard operation of a PHB. The emphasis is on pedestrian-initiated activation, which clearly outlines the importance of pedestrian agency in this context.