Every new traffic light in the city will be required to install ‘No Turn on Red’ signs, a tactic shown to reduce collisions.

All newly installed or repaired traffic signals in Seattle will bar drivers from turning right on red. As Ryan Packer points out in The Urbanist, “The change doesn’t mean that right-on-red will be restricted every single intersection in Seattle anytime soon, but rather that every time a project within the department deals with replacing or modifying a traffic signal, SDOT will have to find a reason justifying not to add ‘no turn on red’ signage.” Allowing cars to turn right on red will now require a “significant operational reason.”
In Washington, D.C., banning right turns on red resulted in a 97 percent reduction in driver-to-driver conflicts and a 92 percent reduction in vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. According to a study published in the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) journal, “These improvements came at overall minor impacts to traffic operations. These findings have helped the District identify a low-cost safety tool that will help in its pursuit of Vision Zero.”
Packer adds that “The new policy will not apply when the city does routine maintenance, or when it modifies signals to add Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS), which provide low-vision people auditory clues that it’s safe to cross the street. The rule will also not apply when signal timing is the only thing about a signal that is modified.”
SDOT expects roughly 150 intersections will have restricted turns on red by the end of this year, “still just a fraction of the over 1,000 signalized intersections that SDOT maintains citywide.”
FULL STORY: No Right Turn on Red Is Now the Default in Seattle

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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