Councilmember Mary Cheh is introducing a pair of bills that aim to increase traffic safety.

The “Safer Intersections Amendment” would permit “Idaho stops,” which allow cyclists and scooter riders to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs. It would also make “no right turn on red” the default for drivers at D.C. intersections.

The idea behind the Idaho Stop, first introduced in 1982, is that cyclists can better maintain control and momentum by not fully stopping. It also reduces rear-end crashes from drivers who aren’t paying attention — a 2020 study from Delaware says the state has seen a 23% decrease in bike crashes at stop signs since the law was introduced.

Eight states have adopted similar laws. D.C.’s bill would apply to bikes, e-bikes, scooters, and other personal mobility devices.

“This change would recognize that our existing traffic laws were designed for cars, not bikes; thus, many of our current laws include behavior requirements ill-fit for ensuring the safety of roadway users other than drivers and modifying those laws will help improve safety for all roadway users,” Cheh wrote. “Additionally, treating stop signs as yield allows for riders to keep their momentum, leading to the conservation of energy, making riding more convenient and faster – necessary measures to encourage more ridership in line with existing District goals,” Cheh added.

The other aspect of the bill would ban drivers from making right turns at red lights, as a way to protect pedestrians in crosswalks.

“Allowing right turns on red is a safety hazard, increasing the likelihood of crashes, and putting road users at heightened risk of injury or death. Even where this practice is not putting lives at risk, it causes constant inconveniences for those walking or rolling through the District by placing cars in their way,” Cheh wrote, citing other places like New York, Montreal, and the Netherlands that have banned the practice. “This bill would put D.C. in this class of leaders in street safety.”

A bill introduced by Charles Allen in 2018 banned right turns on red at 100 high pedestrian use intersections. This bill would mandate that the ban be the default posture for the District, unless DDOT can prove that allowing right turns on red would improve safety at a specific location.

Another bill, “Upgrading Tactical Safety Projects Amendment” requires DDOT to upgrade the flimsy plastic bollards at some intersections. These “quick build” tactical additions are meant to be stopgaps to more permanent and less-easily destroyed upgrades. But often, DDOT never revisits the intersection.

“It is common to see curb extensions, bike lanes, modular bus islands, and closed slip lanes in the District that have been constructed with inexpensive, temporary materials,” Cheh writes. “While using temporary materials to install these tactical projects has provided us with a number of benefits—primarily cost-effectiveness and the ability to stand up these projects quickly—they often fall short of the higher quality, safer, more durable, and aesthetic standards that are typical of permanent installations and that residents deserve for their streetscapes.”

The bill would require an annual plan to convert these projects into more permanent solutions and mandate a certain amount get done each year.

Both bills have four co-sponsors: Councilmembers Brianne Nadeau, Janeese Lewis George, Charles Allen and Christina Henderson.

Transportation committee chair Cheh, who recently said she’s not running for re-election, announced the bills on Tuesday, but they have not yet been formally entered into the Council’s legislative system.

This story was updated to clarify the Idaho stop proposal.