Suwanee soars with awards for HAWK, budget document

SUWANEE - The first of its kind to be used in Georgia, Suwanee’s HAWK (High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk) pedestrian signal was recognized recently with a Golden Shoe Award from the a pedestrian advocacy organization PEDS, or Pedestrians Educating Drivers.

At the 10th annual Golden Shoe Awards celebration in Atlanta November 10, the City of Suwanee received one of eight awards presented for outstanding pedestrian-friendly initiatives.

The HAWK signal was activated at Buford Highway and Town Center Avenue in August, as part of a larger railroad underpass project, to help provide safer and easier pedestrian access between Town Center and historic Old Town; the two sections of downtown Suwanee are separated by a major state highway and railroad track.

The system is used by pedestrians to control traffic lights at select intersections. The lights are dark, allowing traffic to move freely through the intersections, unless activated by a pedestrian. Once a button on the side of the street is pushed to begin its operation, the lights go from dark to flashing yellow to a steady yellow to red. Once pedestrians clear the crosswalk, the light goes dark again and traffic flows freely until the signal is activated by the next person wishing to use the crosswalk.

Installation of the pedestrian signal, which cost about $84,000, was funded through the 2005 SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax).

In addition, the City of Suwanee has received recognition once again from the Government Finance Officers Association, this time for its 2009-10 budget presentation.

Suwanee’s budget was awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fourth consecutive year. The award acknowledges the budget’s proficiency as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications device.
According to GFOA, the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award represents a significant achievement and reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. Those agencies receiving the award have satisfied nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation.