ATLANTA — UPDATE: The Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee voted 3-1, with two abstentions, to advance the proposal that would eliminate right turns at red lights in parts of Atlanta including Downtown, Midtown and Castleberry Hill.
It's not yet clear when the proposal will come before the full City Council.
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Atlanta’s debate over eliminating “right on red” in some parts of the city is one that has taken place in several places around the country.
City Councilman Jason Dozier tells 11Alive he plans to reintroduce his proposal to eliminate right turns at red lights in Downtown Atlanta as well as Midtown and Castleberry Hill at Wednesday’s Transportation Committee meeting.
The proposal was considered last month but put on hold so Dozier could clean up some of the language of the legislation and discuss how it would be implemented.
RELATED: Council committee to consider proposal to ban right turns on red lights in parts of Atlanta
According to the Federal Highway Administration, making a right turn at red lights was illegal in the U.S. until the 1970s when it was allowed “as a fuel savings measure.” The law requires motorists to come to a full stop and yield to cross street traffic and pedestrians prior to a right turn, however the administration reports that “many motorists do not fully comply with the regulations.”
At Spring Street and 5th in Midtown, right turns are already prohibited. A parade of Georgia Tech students constantly cross the intersection on foot. Student Andy Todd says most drivers comply with the “no right on red.”
“I don’t even feel like I need to look to my left to see if there’s a car coming,” said Todd. “I probably should but, I definitely do feel safer because of that.”
Atlanta is far from the first city to consider a widespread ban on right turns at red lights.
A ban in Washington D.C. takes effect next year. New York City, Denver, Indianapolis, Seattle, and Raleigh are among the areas that have severely limited or outright eliminated turns on red.
James Le of the Seattle Department of Transportation says drivers seem to be adjusting to the change.
“We haven’t had any complaints so far,” said Le. “It’s only been less than twelve months since we adopted this new policy.”
Not everyone is a fan.
Indiana State Senator Aaron Freeman wants Indianapolis to put the brakes on its no-right-on-red plan until the city can prove it reduces pedestrian injuries and deaths.
“Why should you not be able to turn red coming home at 1 am when nobody’s walking?” asks Sen. Freeman. “During the day all it’s doing is further hindering traffic and causing bigger backups.”
If Atlanta’s proposal passes through committee, it would then have to gain approval from the full council.