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Some traffic rules change quietly, until the city feels different. The push to ban right turns on red is one of those shifts, driven by crash data, crowded sidewalks, and the simple fact that drivers tend to look left for cars while pedestrians step off the curb. In 2026, several U.S. cities treat the red phase as nonnegotiable at more intersections, trading a few seconds of convenience for clearer signals and calmer corners. The policy is never just about cars; it is about who gets to move without guessing.
New York City, New York
New York City has long treated right on red as the exception, not the default. Per NYC311 guidance, a right turn at a red light is illegal unless a posted sign allows it, a carve-out most commonly found at specific intersections in Staten Island. That citywide baseline removes the common corner conflict where drivers creep into a crosswalk to see around parked cars, then swing through while cyclists and pedestrians assume the signal is theirs; it also makes enforcement simpler, because the permitted turn must be explicitly signed rather than quietly assumed. Visitors often notice it most at night, when empty streets still demand patience too.
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Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. moved to end right on red as a safety measure, with the restriction scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2025. Local reporting notes the change does not instantly cover every signalized corner, because implementation depends on posted restrictions and updated signals, so drivers encounter it as a growing network rather than a single line in the rulebook. The daily impact is subtle but real: the red phase stops being a negotiable moment, crosswalks stay clearer, and people walking near schools, Metro entrances, and high-crash corridors spend less time guessing whether a turning driver is watching the signal or hunting a gap once.
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Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts made a clean break from the old habit by disallowing turns on red at all city-owned traffic signals, pushing safety ahead of small time savings. City transportation staff tied the policy to crash reduction and predictability, especially on streets where bike lanes, school crossings, buses, and heavy foot traffic stack multiple decisions into one corner. The result is less improvisation: drivers stop farther back, crosswalks stay open, and the green light becomes the clear permission slip, which matters in a city where blocks are short and intersections arrive fast. It also reduces out-of-town mistakes at corners, too…