Grand Rapids pedestrian beacons: where the new push-button crossings are, who pays, and why some neighbors want slower traffic

GRAND RAPIDS — Grand Rapids is spending about $1.5 million this year to put pedestrian safety beacons at 11 crossings around the city, FOX 17 reported, and most are already installed. The last two, on Michigan Street NE at Grand Avenue and at Houseman Avenue, are under construction.

The beacons are push-button signals that flash or turn red to stop traffic when someone wants to cross. FOX 17 listed these 11 locations: Alpine Avenue at 11th Street NW, Ann Street at Lafayette Avenue NE, Burton Street at Nelson Avenue SE, Cesar E. Chavez Avenue at Cordelia Street SW and at Stolpe Street SE, Fulton Street at Lowell Avenue NE, Leonard Street at Northfield Avenue, Michigan Street at Grand and at Houseman, Robinson Road at Norwood Avenue SE, and Wealthy Street at Henry Avenue SE.

Business owners on Michigan Street told the station the crossings are overdue. “It’s a busy street. It’s hard to cross,” said Jacob Heminger, owner of Midtowne Smoke Shop.

Who pays

The city’s engineering department describes a broader 2025–2026 crossing program on its project page, listing 14 locations for 2025 and 2026, many next to schools, parks and bus routes, such as Alger Street at Blaine Avenue SE by Alger Middle School and Covell Road at Tremont Boulevard NW by Union High School. Most are rapid flashing beacons; the Fulton Street crossing near Grand Rapids Community College is a pedestrian hybrid beacon, a signal that shows drivers a solid red.

For that program, city staff won federal Highway Safety Improvement Program grants that pay 90% of construction costs, the city says. The required 10% match, plus design, inspection and administration, comes from the voter-approved Vital Streets program, which is funded by the city income tax, and from the Mobile GR department.

“Slowing traffic down”

Not everyone thinks a flashing sign is enough. Arielle Leipham Ellis, who has lived near Fuller Avenue and Fulton Street for almost 20 years, told FOX 17 that the beacon near her home at Fuller and Lyon Street “hasn’t had any impact on slowing traffic.” She said neighbors have recorded crashes, including rollovers and pedestrians being hit, and she wants the city to try other traffic-calming steps next year.

“I think the better thing that we could do, though, is actually focus on slowing traffic down, so that maybe we don’t need so many flashing crosswalks in the first place,” she said.

Residents can report crossing concerns to the city through 311 or 616-456-3000.

Sources:
FOX 17 West Michigan, “Grand Rapids installs new pedestrian safety beacons, but some neighbors say more is needed to slow traffic,” Oct. 30, 2026 (cost, 11 locations, Michigan Street construction, Ellis and Heminger quotes), https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/grand-rapids-installs-new-pedestrian-safety-beacons-but-some-neighbors-say-more-is-needed-to-slow-traffic
City of Grand Rapids Engineering, “2026 Pedestrian Crossing Upgrades – Fourteen Locations” (program locations, beacon types, HSIP 90% grants, Vital Streets match, 311), https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/departments/engineering/road-construction/recent-construction-projects/2026-pedestrian-crossing-upgrades-fourteen-locations/
Photo: The Bushranger, “HAWK beacon on CR155,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAWK_beacon_on_CR155.jpg

Grand Rapids

Tags: Grand Rapids · Pedestrian safety · Michigan Street · Vital Streets · Traffic safety · Crosswalks