Lights are embedded into the pavement; at night, they turn on to alert drivers to the crosswalk's presence. "I witnessed the fact that cars tend to slow down" when their drivers see the lights, university assistant director of parking and transportation Mark Napier said in a campus news bulletin.
During the day, solar panels capture energy from the sun and store it. After the sun sets, the crosswalk's lights draw on that stored power. Because the Arizona sun is strong, sufficient energy is stored to power the lights - which do not consume much power and are not extremely bright - all night.
Similar systems have been installed in Europe, where pedestrian safety is a priority. All cars sold in Europe must be designed to minimize pedestrian injuries, for example. College campuses are a logical place for lighted crosswalks, too - and the University of Arizona may be the first of many schools to install solar-powered crosswalk systems.
