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Committee refers no-turn-on-red ordinance to Council, citing Vision Zero and equity
Summary
The Public Works Committee voted 5–0 to refer an ordinance directing PBOT to evaluate and install no-turn-on-red restrictions at signalized intersections in the High Crash Network and Equity Priority Areas; sponsors cited Vision Zero, data from hotspots such as 122nd & Halsey, and asked for a 90-day PBOT implementation plan and public education.
The Public Works Committee referred an ordinance (Document 2026-213) to full City Council with a recommendation to pass after a broad hearing that included council sponsors, advocates and PBOT staff.
Councilor Smith, the ordinance sponsor, said the measure directs the Portland Bureau of Transportation to systematically evaluate and install no-turn-on-red signage at signalized intersections within the city’s High Crash Network and Equity Priority Areas. She cited crash hotspot data — including “over 80 crashes in just four years” at locations such as 122nd Avenue and Halsey Street — and framed the move as a Vision Zero, life-saving intervention.
Co-sponsor Councilor Koyama Lane emphasized equity and the need for public education, calling for outreach so residents understand changes. Multiple local advocacy groups testified in support: BikeLoud (Eva Frazier) urged eliminating conflict points and highlighted the historical policy origins of right-on-red; Oregon Walks (Mike Dennis) cited data showing fatal pedestrian crashes disproportionately affect East Portland and marginalized groups; Division Midway Alliance (Lorena Mora) described frequent community safety walks and asked for prioritization near transit, schools and parks; Verdi (Indy Namkung) urged clarity on implementation costs and how the policy will coordinate with other Vision Zero treatments.
PBOT Director Millicent Williams and signal manager Peter Kuntz explained that while individual sign installs might seem simple, many intersections require bundled signal work, electrical work or temporary sensor deployments. PBOT updated cost assumptions for the committee: the bureau described per-intersection install costs on the order of several thousand dollars (PBOT: roughly $4,000 per intersection in updated estimates) and estimated that a phase targeting 30 priority intersections on the High Crash Network could cost in the low hundreds of thousands; a much larger, citywide program would scale accordingly.
PBOT said it can provide a written implementation plan within 90 days of passage that will include site prioritization, estimated costs, funding sources and an installation timeline. The bureau also described a non-imaging LIDAR pilot it has used to detect turn-on-red violations and to help target enforcement; PBOT said the sensor data are object-only and would be managed by PBOT to inform enforcement and deployment decisions, while ultimate enforcement authority rests with Portland Police Bureau.
Council debate focused on evidence (PBOT and federal guidance suggest sign installation can reduce crashes on average), funding (PBOT expects to use a TOUGH/Vision Zero set-aside and to leverage signal funds), enforcement capacity, public education needs, and whether the directive should return with refined cost and enforcement plans. The committee voted to refer the ordinance to full City Council with the recommendation that it pass (vote 5–0; motion moved by Councilor Smith, seconded by Councilor Koyama Lane).
Next steps: PBOT will prepare the written implementation plan requested in the ordinance language and return with clarified costs, site prioritization and a public education plan prior to the Council-level action.
