Description
Here is the infamous "no right turn on red" at 84th and Leighton. No enforcement or signage has worked to reduce the number of cars that turn right on red at all times of day and night. This car pictured is stopped and not turning but still clearly way over the crosswalk and do you think they are looking left at 84th street traffic or looking right at the bike path in case a bike is quickly moving downhill about to cross the crosswalk or a child thinking it's safe since the crosswalk says they are safe to cross Leighton? Every time I see a car turning right on red I picture a biker flying down that hill and colliding with the turning car.
So maybe this idea would help since nothing else has. A sign in the turn lane with red flags and an arrow pointed just before the crosswalk that says "stop here on red". Ive seen them elsewhere in town. Probably cheaper and more effective then enforcement which hasn't worked. Any other ideas LTU can think of? Just removing the unnecessary turn lane, putting up signs in the lane or a raised curb? Making the bike path traffic stop when coming down that hill? More signs and warnings for the bike path traffic?
As shown in the picture this is a tragedy waiting to happen. I would say only 60% of drivers actually obey and do not turn on red. And all those that disobey also stop covering the crosswalk.
Thanks for any attention given to this situation.
8 Comments
City of Lincoln, NE (Verified Official)
ECR (Registered User)
Doyle Helmink (Registered User)
Ky (Registered User)
I see (Registered User)
Acknowledged LTU Engineering & Traffic (Verified Official)
Closed LTU Engineering & Traffic (Verified Official)
The NO TURN ON RED sign was installed here to prevent this type of crash from occurring.
There is legally not enough room to install a STOP HERE ON RED sign on the south side of Leighton due to the lack of space between the sidewalk and the street curb. In addition, if vehicles are stopping on top of the crosswalk and are ignoring the NO TURN ON RED sign, an additional stop line being painted on the street will likely do little to change this driver behavior. If you see repeated violations of this prohibition, please contact LPD for assistance in enforcement.
As far as placing a stop sign on the multi-use path, we are not allowed to install conflicting indications, for example, giving the pedestrians/bikes a walk signal at the same time you are requiring them to stop at the stop sign.
There are two items here that should keep this type of crash from occurring…
- First and foremost, right turns on red are prohibited for the eastbound to southbound movement to stop this type of crash from occurring.
- The crosswalk is not in alignment with the west curb of 84th Street, it cuts back to the west (as shown in the attached image), so children using the crosswalk should be around the corner and visible to drivers approaching from the west before entering the street. Bicycles would have to make this same maneuver to stay within the marked crosswalk to receive the same rights as pedestrians.
Traffic Engineering will also request that Parks & Rec consider posting a sign adjacent the trail for northbound users, south of Leighton, stating “Watch for turning vehicles.”
I am happy to report there has only been one crash here involving a vehicle and a bike in the last five years (no pedestrian related crashes during this period). This is great considering the volume of vehicles and pedestrians that pass through this intersection each year. The crash that did occur involved a bicyclist who stated he tried to slow down as he approached Leighton Avenue, but his breaks were not working, so he ran into the side of the car. No injuries were reported.
We will continue to monitor this intersection for crashes. Again, please contact LPD if you believe an enforcement effort is necessary for drivers violating the “no turn on red” sign.
Tim Hunt
Senior Traffic Technician | Traffic Engineering
City of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities
An anonymous SeeClickFix user (Registered User)