How can a city with street-level trolleys ban right-on-red?

KIRO Radio’s Ron Upshaw had the displeasure of driving home at 5 p.m.

Trying to get out of Seattle from South Lake Union can be a pain, especially during commuter hours. But add the trolleys into the mix and things turn chaotic.

Now, the same city that thought it was a good idea to put trolleys on Seattle’s roads has decided to ban taking a right at red lights at 10 intersections. The reason, officials say, is to reduce the number of collisions between cars and pedestrians.

Related: Many of Seattle’s streets ‘don’t work well for anybody’

“Come on,” Ron exclaimed. “Now no right turns?”

The intersections aren’t in South Lake Union. However, Ron said it’s another example of the poor choices the city’s leaders are making. Again, like the trolley.

“Can we just, for a second, think about that,” Ron said. “In the 21st Century, we came up with: let’s put a trolley in the middle of the street.”

And that was after the city got rid of trolleys years ago, Don O’Neill added.

“Nobody had the idea of putting the trolleys above or below the streets?” Ron continued. Instead, the city decided to take up an entire lane in South Lake Union.

Just stop and think about the progression of how the decision was made to ban right-on-red, as performed by Ron: Someone in a suit and a bad clip-on tie sat in a conference room with bagels and free coffee. While that person enjoyed the snack, they were operating a PowerPoint presentation &#8212 probably built using Windows 95. On that presentation, the final solution presented for decreasing collisions between cars and pedestrians was to end right turns at red lights.

Watching that presentation was someone above the presenter’s pay grade. That person watched the presentation and said, “‘Ah, seems like a good idea, Chet,'” Ron said. (End scene)

Related: Curley says free right ban is another attempt to punish drivers

Though the no-right-on-red rule is part of the City of Seattle’s Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries by 2030, is it really the right move?

Seattle drivers already waste hours of their lives stuck in traffic, a recent study shows.

The no right-on-red policy is expected to take effect by the end of 2015. The intersections effected are:

• 5th Avenue and Union Street

• 5th Avenue and University Street

• 5th Avenue and Spring Street

• 5th Avenue and Seneca Street

• 6th Avenue and Pike Street

• 6th Avenue and Spring Street

• 6th Avenue and Cherry Street

• 6th Avenue and James Street

• 6th Avenue and University Street

• 7th Avenue and Olive Way

Also, part of the Vision Zero goal, the city is reducing speeds in 10 zones, adding radar speed signs around town, adding 12 new cameras in six school zones, adding seven miles of protected bike lanes, 14 blocks of new sidewalk, and 40 crossing improvements.