DC moves forward with no turn on red traffic plan; some critics say measure will increase gridlock
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - The District is moving ahead with plans to install no turn on red signs at approximately 100 intersections across the city.
D.C. Department of Transportation Director, Jeff Marootian, spoke with FOX 5 and said that eliminating right turns on red is part of Mayor Muriel Bowser's Vision Zero plan. The initiative, started by Bowser, aims to reach zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2024. Marootian said DDOT will evaluate any other measures that can be put into place that can make intersections safer.
Some critics of the no turn on red measure said it could create more rear-end collisions and increase traffic gridlock across the District. "We must do everything in our power to change the traffic safety culture in the District. Still, some traffic engineers posit a ban on red light right turns might create an even greater risk for vulnerable users by increasing the frequency and severity of right-turning crashes and rear-end collisions," said AAA Mid-Atlantic's John B. Townsend in a statement. "To resolve such concerns in regard to prohibiting the maneuver at a large swath of intersections in the city, the District should conduct a comprehensive data-driven analysis that is grounded in good science, 'particularly with respect to the impact on pedestrian safety.' We must not forsake educating and engaging the public about creating safer streets." Marootian told FOX 5 he believed there was a fair amount of support for the plan.
All signs are expected to be installed by transportation crews by the end of July.
Hear Jeff Marootian's interview with FOX 5 in the video above.