The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is in the process of preparing an Informational Report for Prohibition of Turns On Red. In 1986, ITE published a Recommended Practice (RP) entitled Guidelines for Prohibition of Turns on Red. The update to the RP began in 2001. The proposed update was published for comment in 2004 and received numerous appeals. Subsequent updates received comments and calls from concerned ITE members even before publication of the revised draft. It was clear that more appeals would be filed.

While ITE recognizes the importance of the appropriate use of right turns on red, it appears that applications of right-turn-on-red have become more controversial, not less, since the original publication of ITE’s RP on the subject. Increased focus on pedestrian travel and safety, accommodation for persons with disabilities, and increasingly diverse communities make the application of right-turn-on-red more variable and subject to unique situations. Consequently, developing a concise “recommended practice” is unlikely to reach consensus within the transportation community.

After careful consideration, ITE feels that the community will be better served through an informational report. The format of an informational report allows for discussion of a broad range of installations for right-turn-on-red, and does not seek to reach consensus on a single approach. We believe that the broader treatment of the subject that an informational report affords will be preferable; therefore, ITE is pursuing an information report on this topic in lieu of the recommended practice at this time.

To express your interest in serving on a Technical Advisory Committee for this project, please send your name, contact information, brief resume and a one-page statement of interest documenting your professional background specifically applicable to this work. Submissions should be directed to Douglas E. Noble, Senior Director for Management and Operations, at dnoble@ite.org no later than June 1, 2008.

A small group of experts with diverse backgrounds and skills will be selected to serve on this panel. It is expected that the panel will meet in person or via teleconference approximately four times over the coming year. Advisory committee members selected to serve will be notified by June 15, 2008.