The backstory
City Council originally voted unanimously Oct. 7 to install the signs near Evelyn's Conservancy Park. Chief of Police Onesimo Lopez said during the Oct. 7 meeting that the purpose of the signs were to increase pedestrian safety, and reduce the likelihood of conflicts between right-turning vehicles and pedestrians in crosswalks.
According to the ordinance document, there has been one pedestrian-involved crash at the intersection since 2019, with the driver at fault for failure to yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian.
What residents are saying
Residents during the Dec. 2 public comment session said these newly implemented signs are likely to increase traffic.
Jennifer Cannon said she is worried about the traffic congestion the restriction might cause in the mornings.
"People are going off to work, they're going to the medical center. We have a lot of doctors that live here, we're taking kids to school," Cannon said. "The congestion that I believe will come from this, early in the morning specifically, is going to be bad."
Other residents wondered why the restriction couldn't be implemented during specific hours, and some, such as Gary Friedman, pointed out how there were new signs implemented in intersections other than Newcastle Drive and Bellaire Boulevard.
"I talked to the city manager, [and] she was not even aware that these signs went up," Friedman said. "Evidently, there was an ordinance 50 years ago saying these signs were supposed to be installed. They were not till the last week."
What council members are saying
Council member Jackie Georgiou said although she hears the residents' concerns and will figure out how to address them, she wants to ensure the city is walkable and safe for residents and children.
"We want to keep you safe ..." Georgiou said. "We're going to make mistakes, but we're not unreasonable. We'll fix them along the way. There are some things that cannot be undone, including a child's life."
Council member Cindy Cohen Taylor said although she understands residents' frustrations, she also points to residents in her community who have responded positively to the signs.
"From my community, the people that live there [that] are dog walkers, power walkers, joggers with their kids, they are excited that they can safely go through that intersection and [said] how happy they are that there is no right turn on red," Taylor said. "I hear the negative, and I don't disagree with you about the traffic, but I also had to mention that the sentiment is that there are some positive things about it."
What's next?
City Manager Sharon Citino said they plan on taking the issue to the newly created traffic committee to do a full traffic analysis of the Newcastle Drive and Bellaire Boulevard intersection. However, city officials said there is not a timeframe on when that will traffic study will be conducted.
"We will take a look at all of those issues to make sure that, number one, pedestrians are protected and safe, and number two, that we're not creating unintended consequences," Citino said during the meeting.
Bellaire's spokesperson Cheryl Bright said the installed no right turn on red signs that aren't on the Newcastle Drive and Bellaire Boulevard intersection have been removed, as of Dec. 3. The intersections where signs were removed include:
- Northwest corner of Avenue B and Bissonnet Street, facing north
- Southeast corner of Avenue B and Bissonnet Street, facing south
- Northeast corner of Bissonnet Street and Avenue B, facing east
- Northeast corner of Bissonnet Street and South Rice Avenue, facing east
- Southeast corner of Bissonnet Street and South Rice Avenue, facing east
- Southwest corner of Jessamine Street and South Rice Avenue, facing west
