Ottawa Staff Report Warns Right-Turn-on-Red Ban Could Create New Safety Risks
A proposed ban on right-hand turns at red lights in Ottawa could introduce additional safety hazards, increase traffic congestion, and present significant enforcement and compliance challenges, according to a comprehensive City of Ottawa staff report. The analysis was prepared in response to a request from Somerset Councillor Ariel Troster, who called for increased restrictions following a traumatic collision she witnessed near City Hall in July 2025.
Councillor's Request Follows Fatal Collision
Somerset Councillor Ariel Troster asked city staff to analyze collision data involving pedestrians and cyclists after witnessing what she described as a traumatic collision incident in July 2025. The request came approximately three weeks after a 27-year-old woman was struck and killed blocks away from the crash site at Elgin Street and Laurier Avenue on July 8, 2025.
Troster subsequently called for implementation of a Vision Zero policy that would prohibit vehicles from turning right on red lights throughout Ottawa's downtown core, aiming to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
Staff Analysis Reveals Complex Safety Implications
Public Works General Manager Alain Gonthier prepared the detailed response to Troster's inquiry, explaining that red light restrictions have not been implemented citywide due to multiple concerns. The report highlights potential safety impacts, increased traffic congestion, and challenges with both compliance and enforcement.
While right-turn-on-red restrictions can reduce risks at one crosswalk, Gonthier noted they may create new conflicts at another location within the same intersection. When drivers are prohibited from turning right on red, they wait for a green light, which eliminates conflicts with pedestrians and cyclists crossing directly in front of them. However, once the light turns green, those same drivers must then watch for pedestrians and cyclists on the street they are turning onto.
Increased Delays and Aggressive Driving Behavior
The report specifically warns about increased delays at intersections with heavy right-turn volume. Gonthier stated that such delays often lead to aggressive driver behavior including speeding or reduced attention to vulnerable road users, thereby raising the risk of collisions at other crosswalks.
At intersections with bike lanes, restrictions on right turns can actually increase the risk of right-hook collisions, according to the analysis. This occurs because more drivers turning right during the green light phase will move through the same space as cyclists who are going straight through the intersection simultaneously. These situations present particular danger because cyclists may be in a driver's right-side blind spot, making them harder to see.
Additional Safety Concerns Identified
Gonthier's report further indicates that red light restrictions can increase vehicle queuing and potentially block intersections, which could introduce other safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists. The restrictions might also elevate collision risks if drivers choose to ignore no-right-turn signage, particularly at intersections with low volumes of pedestrians and cyclists.
The comprehensive staff report is scheduled for presentation to the public works and infrastructure committee next week, where committee members will review the detailed analysis and consider its implications for Ottawa's traffic safety policies.
