Ban Turns on Red Citywide

The City of Cambridge Vision Zero Action plan adopted in March of 2016, and updated in February of 2018 states; “Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. The Vision Zero approach consists first and foremost of an acknowledgment that crashes are preventable.

By examining the factors that cause crashes, from infrastructure to behavior and societal factors, we can make the changes necessary to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Vision Zero also acknowledges that human beings will always make mistakes, so we must have systems in place to ensure that they are not fatal or life changing;’ and

Our City’s streets are currently being redesigned to better protect more vulnerable road users, which has increased the number of bicycles and pedestrians on our streets and sidewalks every day; and

We must continue to implement new safety improvements to our Traffic Regulations to meet our adopted Vision Zero Action Plan goals of eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries; and

In order to meet their Vision Zero goals, Washington D.C recently voted to ban right turn on red movements district-wide, joining New York City as the second City in the United States to do so, with Ann Arbor, Michigan joining the cause in October to ban right turn on red movements in their downtown area; and

In 2008, the Washington District’s Department of Transportation selected 100 pilot

locations to study the “No Turn on Red” implementation as a protection for vulnerable road users, and the study of that pilot found that: “vehicle-to-vehicle conflicts dropped by 97% after the “no turn on red” signs were installed. The number of times drivers failed to yield to pedestrians when the light was red dropped by 92%. Drivers even did a better job yielding to pedestrians when their light was green, with violations dropping by 59%;” and

This movement is already banned in over half the City of Cambridge’s intersections and the Cambridge Traffic Regulations regarding “No Turn on Red” language currently states:

“Section 4.5 Traffic Control Legend:

(c) Steady Red Signal

(2) No driver of a vehicle facing a red indication shall make a right turn where official “No Turn on Red” traffic signs are installed and maintained prohibiting such turn, at intersections as described in Schedule 4A incorporated herein and made a part hereof available at the Traffic Department;” and

Banning turns on red Citywide is a safety improvement the City of Cambridge should consider in order to continue to protect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists; now therefore be it

That the City Manager is directed to work with the Law Department and the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department to investigate how to ban turns on red Citywide; and be it further

That the City Manager is directed to contact the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, to begin discussions of banning turns on red movements on roadways in Cambridge controlled by those state entities; and be it further

That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.

In City Council November 7, 2022. Adopted by the affirmative vote of nine members. Attest:- Diane P. LeBlanc, City Clerk

A true copy;

ATTEST:-

Diane P. LeBlanc,

City Clerk