The city of Alexandria has installed more than 50 "No Right on Red" signs at intersections and more may be on the way.
Approximately 20% of traffic signals in Alexandria have turn restrictions. While some were installed prior to 2017 when city officials adopted a new Action Plan toward Vision Zero, the rate of NROR sign placement has increased significantly since then, city staff wrote in a memo to city council in October.
While city staff are not considering an outright ban on right turns at signalized intersection at this time, "The Vision Zero FY 2023 work plan calls for installation of NROR on two corridors with high pedestrian volumes. Additionally, this is a safety measure that staff considers with capital projects, high crash intersection audits and Safe Routes to School walk audits, which will begin in Spring 2023," the memo noted. (The high-pedestrian corridors themselves were not identified in the memo.)
While some cities have outright banned right turns on red (the District is doing this by 2025), both the Federal Highway Administration and Virginia Dept. of Transportation recommend a more nuanced approach.
"The NROR solution could potentially cause more issues than benefits, such as increased rear-ends at a low pedestrian crossing location or may not be the best way to improve pedestrian safety if a crash analysis shows otherwise," the memo noted.
