"There was a general concern about crossing Curtner from residents," said Jim Bittner, San Jose Department of Transportation associate civil engineer. "Drivers on Curtner don't really expect people to cross there because the crosswalk is in the middle of two signal lights rather than at the light."

Seniors walking from the Willows Senior Center to the two parks nearby and residents consistently use the crosswalk, Bittner said.

The locations selected for this traffic safety program are chosen because of the significant number of pedestrians using the crosswalk, said Laura Wells, San Jose Department of Transportation division manager.

Other factors considered in choosing an intersection for these flashing beacons include the crosswalk's proximity to parks and business districts, the amount of traffic, length of the street pedestrians have to cross and visibility constraints.

Residents living in the area are eager for the new safety feature and hope it will reduce the number of speeders.

"I think anything that will slow traffic for the youth and elderly that cross there would be great, even if it might be a small inconvenience to me as a driver," said Carolyn Mosby, Willows Senior Center director.

Willow Glen resident Jenny McLaughlin said she's glad the city is installing the flashing lights, but drivers should already be aware of pedestrians crossing Curtner Avenue.

"As a mother, it makes me feel more comfortable crossing with the lights because cars have a greater tendency to stop at them," McLaughlin said.

Other residents are less impressed.

"On the plus side, it will be good to slow the traffic down," said resident Wayne Mason. "But on the down side, traffic will be backed up in front of my house."

The flashing beacons on Curtner Avenue are part of the citywide Safe Streets initiative, Wells said. Fourteen flashing beacons are scheduled throughout San Jose.

"As part of this fiscal year's budget, we allocated approximately $500,000 to improve safety on our streets," Wells said.

Each beacon costs approximately $12,000 per crosswalk. It is wireless and solar powered.

The Safe Streets Initiative was launched by the San Jose Department of Transportation November 2002 and was designed to increase traffic safety through the implementation of educational programs and enforcement.