San Francisco Officials Call for Citywide Ban on Right Turns on Red

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors declined to act on a proposal that would have banned right turns on red at roughly 200 downtown intersections, instead calling for agency officials to implement the policy citywide.

According to a CBS News article, SFMTA engineer Ricardo Olea says a blanket ban could “create a shock to the system” for drivers. “Olea said the idea behind the two-thirds proposal was to make San Francisco's northeast quadrant into a ‘center of gravity’ where drivers could get used to not making turns on red lights, before expanding outward.” Restricting turns at all intersections could lead to backlash from drivers at intersections with little pedestrian traffic where right turns could be made safely, Olea noted. 

Three Directors disagreed, asking if “Creating a whole paradigm shift might be easier than relying on drivers reading signs each time they pulled up to an intersection, especially with the number of signs alongside San Fransisco roadways.” Other advocates at a public meeting focused on pedestrians and bicyclists, who can make safer decisions if they know drivers will make a right turn on red or not. “Improving the walkability of streets, more so than the safety of them, has driven San Francisco's push for right on red bans, according to a staff memo from ahead of the meeting.”