Portland City Council Passes Ordinance Directing No Turn on Red Restrictions at City's Most Dangerous Intersections

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PORTLAND, Ore. - Today, Portland City Council unanimously passed an ordinance directing the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to evaluate and implement No Turn on Red restrictions at signalized intersections within the City's High Crash Network. The ordinance was introduced by Councilors Tiffany Koyama Lane and Loretta Smith.

Portland has adopted Vision Zero as its policy framework to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets. Despite that commitment, a small share of Portland's roadways continues to account for a disproportionate share of the harm: the High Crash Network makes up roughly 8% of Portland's streets, yet is the site of approximately 62% of the city's traffic deaths.

"The risks aren't evenly distributed. Pedestrians, bicyclists, children, older adults, people with disabilities, and transit riders face the greatest danger in these intersections, as well as communities in East Portland and other historically underserved areas," said Councilor Koyama Lane.

Right turns on red are a significant factor in these outcomes. Under current Oregon law, drivers may turn right at a red signal after stopping unless a sign specifically prohibits it, meaning Portland has relied on a slow, intersection-by-intersection process to restrict the movement where it's most dangerous. PBOT traffic engineering data cited in the Council record shows that No Turn on Red signage can reduce all crash types at an intersection by approximately 9%.

"Today, the Portland City Council took a bold and necessary stand to proclaim that no street in Portland should compromise human life for the sake of a few seconds of driver convenience," Councilor Loretta Smith said. "We have heard the voices of parents holding their children's hands at crosswalks, seniors navigating busy intersections, and cyclists demanding dignity and safety on our roads. This ordinance is our answer. Traffic safety is a matter of life, equity, and the fundamental protection of our citizens."

The ordinance directs PBOT to:

• Deliver, as a pilot project, 30 intersections on the High Injury Network intersections with no turn on red restrictions and then return to Council for additional guidance.
• Prioritize locations with leading pedestrian intervals, bike boxes or protected bicycle facilities, exclusive pedestrian or bicycle signal phases, high pedestrian or bicycle volumes, documented turning-related crash history, Equity Priority Areas, and proximity to schools, parks, transit stops, senior centers, libraries, and community centers.
• Install standard signage at intersections where the City Traffic Engineer determines restrictions are appropriate.
• Launch a public education campaign, including multilingual outreach and coordination with neighborhood and business associations, ahead of and during implementation.
• Use an education-first approach for the first 30 days after new signage goes up before enforcement begins.

PBOT will monitor implementation outcomes and provide Council with a report no later than twelve months after the first phase of installations is completed.

This ordinance builds on Portland's Vision Zero Action Plan, which identified No Turn on Red pilots as a strategy for improving signal safety. It shifts the City's approach from case-by-case signage requests toward proactive, data-driven prioritization of the intersections where Portlanders are most at risk.