Sonoma County has launched a new use of the pedestrian hybrid beacon at SMART Rail crossings in the Penngrove and Fulton communities.   Both crossings have signalized intersections over 700 feet away, too far for use of traditional rail preempt.  A study by W-Trans concluded a queue cutter signal was the best option to keep the crossing safe once SMART revenue service began.   However, the need to the queue cutter only occurred in the evening peak hour.   Since signals that remain green for extended periods (23 hours or more) tend to be overlooked by some drivers, the choice was made to use a beacon instead of a traffic signal.   The beacon displays remain dark when not needed.  When needed, the beacon displays illuminate, and the appearance of the bright lights catches the attention of drivers in a very effective way.   The Fulton crossing is pictured below.