To enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety, Fairfax County is working with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to install nine new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFBs) at targeted crosswalks around the County.
The flashing yellow lights, when activated, signal to drivers and bicyclists using the roadway to yield to those in the crosswalk before proceeding. RRFBs are a warning device for drivers. Pedestrians need to watch for approaching traffic even if the RRFB has been activated.
The Fall 2019 improvements are a result of a $1,263,000 grant through VDOT's Pedestrian Safety Action Plan and funded by the the Federal Highway Authority's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The grant also includes other pedestrian safety improvements including refuge islands and a signalized crosswalk.
How to Use an RRFB
Drivers and On-Street Bicyclists
Pedestrians and Bicyclists in the Crosswalks
1. Anticipate people when approaching a crosswalk.
1. When you are ready to cross, press the button to activate the flashing yellow warning lights.
2. Flashing yellow lights may indicate that people are ready to cross or are crossing.
2. Make eye contact with drivers to confirm they are yielding before entering the crosswalk.
3. Yield to people on foot or bicycle within a crosswalk, and give enough space so that your vehicle does not block another driver's view of people crossing.
3. Continue to scan both directions as you cross the street.
4. Do not stop in or block a crosswalk.
5. Do not pass another vehicle that is yielding at a crosswalk.
6. Wait for people walking or bicycling to clear the crosswalk before proceeding, regardless of the status of the RRFB.