CINCINNATI — As data shows crashes involving pedestrians continue to rise in Cincinnati, some are highlighting more “No Turn on Red” signs as a possible solution.
Pedestrian safety advocate Bryce Mortera, a UC student who primarily gets around campus on his bike, said there’s room for improvement in his area. That includes signs preventing turns during a red light.
“It’s really allowing not only drivers but people who are walking or biking or rolling around campus to get out into the intersection before potentially getting hit or not seen by drivers,” he said.
As a driver approaches an intersection where they can make a right on red, they typically first look to the left to check for oncoming traffic. If it is clear, some drivers will start rolling as they look to the right, which might have someone already in the crosswalk. That is where the danger lies.
At the intersection of Ninth and Plum streets, a new sign indicates that drivers can not make a turn on red. It is indicated by a bright yellow “new” placard.
“The data shows it’s going to make people walking, people riding bikes, safer at intersections,” said Matt Butler, president of the Devou Good Foundation.
Some of the most recent data, although significantly dated, shows right-on-red turns increase pedestrian crashes by 60% and bicycle crashes by 100%.
Being able to make a right on red was born out of the 1970s energy crisis as a fuel savings measure. It never really went away.
“Now, cities are starting to look at this as they prioritize safety over driver speed,” Butler said. “It should be a fairly low-cost win for safety.”
The city did not comment on whether the new sign at Ninth and Plum means it will be expanded.
Motera said he wants drivers to know pedestrian advocates are looking for solutions in everyone’s best interest.
“It isn’t really us-versus-them,” Motera said. “It’s really, ‘How can we get the design just right to meet everyone’s needs?’”
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