Cambridge Officials Put 'Right On Red' Traffic Maneuver On Chopping Block

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — After a meeting on Monday night, the Cambridge City Council may be making moves to do away with the rule of thumb "right on red" driving practice in an effort to reduce city pedestrian, car, and cyclist-involved crashes.

At the public meeting at City Hall, the Council is set to vote on a proposal to ban drivers from turning right at a red light anywhere in the city— as it stands, the maneuver is illegal at 75 percent of the intersections in Cambridge.

On the issue, WBZ's Mike Macklin spoke to Mark Rayman, a cab driver who has been at the wheel in Cambridge for over 40 years. He says that driving in Cambridge "is a nightmare," and was less than thrilled at the idea of the city forbidding red light, right turns.

"It's horrible 24/7. When you can make a right turn on red— that helps traffic a little bit. It makes it move a little bit quicker," Rayman said.

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Proponents of the ban say it will make cycling and walking through the city much safer.

"I think Cambridge has been such a bike-friendly city that it actually makes sense, there are BlueBikes everywhere, so you shouldn't be turning right on red anymore," said resident Delaney Kirkoff.

The movement comes amid the city's "Zero Vision Action Plan," something aims to cut down on vehicle versus pedestrian fatalities by implementing special slow zones, exclusive turn lanes, and lowering speed limit with a default 25 mile per hour cap citywide.

Other cities in the United States have passed similar prohibitions— in Washington D.C, New York City, and Ann Arbor, turning right on red is considered illegal.

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