Information from Seattle Department of Transportation
To meet our commitment to take immediate actions to support Vision Zero and enhance road safety, Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) developed a new policy and has started expanding No Turn on Red restrictions at more than 40 downtown intersections. More details including a map of these locations is available on the SDOT Blog.
SDOT recently published a top-to-bottom review of our Vision Zero initiative, which aims to end traffic-related deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030. This review was commissioned by Mayor Bruce Harrell and SDOT Director Greg Spotts to evaluate our processes after seeing fatal and serious injury crashes increase in recent years.
One of the first momentum-building actions to come from the top-to-bottom review is to expand use of No Turn on Red restrictions at signalized intersections. Limiting turns during red lights reduces conflict between people driving and people walking and rolling. In Seattle, right turn on red crashes account for 9% of all collisions with people walking at signalized intersections. Implementing No Turn on Red at intersections create a more consistent traffic pattern for all users.
A recent study published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers Journal showed there was minimal increase in waiting for vehicle traffic at intersections where right turns on red were prohibited. The same study also found it reduced pedestrian-vehicle conflicts by 92 percent and vehicle-vehicle conflicts by 97 percent during the red interval at signalized intersections.
“Let’s not trade people's safety so people in cars can save a few seconds of waiting for their turn to go. Adding over 40 No Turn on Red intersections downtown is the first step in our plan to expand this proven safety measure to pedestrian dense neighborhoods.” said SDOT Director Greg Spotts.
At the start of 2023, there were about 100 Seattle intersections where it was illegal to turn right during a red light.
In the first step to responding to the Vision Zero top-to-bottom review, No Turn on Red restrictions will be installed at 41 signalized intersections across downtown. SDOT has already finished more than two-thirds of these locations (28 intersections), with the remaining scheduled to be completed by the Major League Baseball All Star Week in July.
These initial locations were selected to provide additional continuity of No Turn on Red along corridors and prioritize areas with high pedestrian volumes.
“We are taking action to improve walkability and safety as part of our work to draw people to the heart of Seattle and make downtown a welcoming place. Together, we can make downtown a vibrant, dynamic, and safe space for all” said Mayor Bruce Harrell.
Along with the installation of signs at locations downtown, SDOT published a new No Turn on Red policy that establishes the broad use of these restrictions at signalized intersections throughout the City. SDOT will implement changes when:
- New traffic signals are installed,
- Operations at signalized intersections are modified,
- Or SDOT programs, such as Safe Routes to School, prioritize locations.
The policy will also ensure that all existing and future projects will evaluate including No Turn on Red signs at intersections within their scope, as part of the project.
SDOT will continue to evaluate additional locations for installation of No Turn on Red signs in other dense neighborhoods throughout the city over the next year.
