Abolish the right-on-red rule!

[nxylas]

Does anyone else here think that allowing traffic to turn right at a red light renders busy crosswalks almost unusable? Couple it with the traffic turning left at the green light on a 4-way intersection and pedestrians are left battling almost as much traffic as if there was no crosswalk there at all. Maybe it's because I grew up in Britain, where there's no such rule (the Tories were threatening to introduce it at one time, though it would be left on red there, since they drive on the wrong side of the road) but I have this quaint idea that a walk signal should mean that there's NO traffic on the crosswalk. I believe this is already the case in New York - now, how about the rest of the country?

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Right on red should be negated whenever there's a crosswalk.

The Feds forced right on red on the states to save gas and lower air pollution without regard for the increased hazard it presents to pedestrians. Car-friendly always wins out over pedestrian or pedal power.

Right on red does make sense in areas with few pedestrians, but not at intersections where pedestrian controls such as crosswalks and walk lights because too few drivers yield the right of way. In fact, many zoom into a right turn as soon as the light changes even with people standing at the corner waiting for the Walk light. It's nuts.

[nxylas]

2. How come NYC got exempted?

If it's a federal law?

[Gormy Cuss]

3. IIRC, all local areas can designate some intersections as No Right on Red because of safety issues

and NYC was able to make the case that the majority of intersections met the test.

[KamaAina]

4. When I grew up in Conn., we were the second-to-last holdout

only Mass., I believe, resisted longer.

Then when Conn. finally did cave in, overnight, a forest of "NO Turn on Red" signs sprouted up across the Nutmeg State. At one point a full 75 percent of all the intersections in the state sported these!

[nxylas]

5. When was that?

I've only lived in this country for just under 5 years, so I'm lacking historical perspective here.

[KamaAina]

6. Late '70s, I believe

apparently all 50 were "Red states", so to speak, by the turn of the decade.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_turn_on_red

All 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico have allowed right turns on red since January 1, 1980, unless a sign otherwise prohibits this, such as "No Turn On Red" or a No Right Turn symbol with the words On Red or a red arrow or red light symbol.

[galledgoblin]

7. I completely agree

if I get hit by a car, that is how it will happen. I've already had a few close calls. :scared:

[eleny]

8. It depends on the city

We have it here in the Denver metro area and things work well. Because this area is not as old as some cities, we have lots of turning lanes to accomodate cars turning right. It moves traffic along well. The law is that right turns are allowed unless pedestrians are present. I never had problems with that and drove around town a lot for my work. So I don't believe it's a one size fits all deal.

And certainly New York is unique. I grew up there and drove for many years before I moved out of state. I remember people pulling up on the right side at red lights and darting forward as soon as the light would turn green. And how about the double and triple parking in NYC? I was guilty of double parking many times.

Older cities with so many people have their unique problems that don't exist elsewhere.

[Gormy Cuss]

9. I live near a small, newish California city with turning lanes, etc. Doesn't work.

Too many drivers think that ROR trumps pedestrian crossing signals. Drivers turn without looking for pedestrians so frequently that there are some intersections where it's impossible for a pedestrian to cross the street in the remaining time on the cycle. The city's response to complaints? "We use the standard calculation for walk cycle timing. There's plenty of time." :banghead:

So it's not just a problem of older cities. It's also a problem of municipal attitudes about pedestrians vs. cars.