Right-on-red became the standard at intersections over 30 years ago. It was enacted to help motorists conserve fuel by lessening the need to idle at intersections when a clear, safe opportunity for a right turn existed. Unfortunately, when the big picture of all modes of transportation is considered, it's less clear that right-on-red is really a net benefit from either a fuel consumption or emissions point of view.

The problem is that while right-on-red reduces vehicle idling, it also helps create a landscape that is hostile toward pedestrians and bicyclists, making people more likely to avoid these modes of transport in favor of driving. Many roads widen at intersections to incorporate a dedicated right turn lane, sometimes increasing the width of our arterial streets to eight lanes at busy intersections. That's a formidable distance for a pedestrian to cross. Even worse, right-on-red keeps drivers preoccupied with looking left for an opportunity to turn. As a result, it's easy for drivers to overlook other road users to their right or even directly in front of them, whether pedestrians walking in the crosswalk or bicyclists waiting at the curb.

Given that right-on-red is now a national standard with only New York City having opted out, it's neither practical nor desirable for Phoenix to abandon right-on-red across the board. Nevertheless, Phoenix should consider selectively restricting right-on-red. It's already banned at a few intersections where limited visibility increases the risk of car vs. car collisions, but seldom banned in response to the needs of other road users. Phoenix should take another look at right-on-red with an eye toward restricting the practice in areas that attract, or have the potential to attract, significant pedestrian and bicycle traffic.