The Kyiv City State Administration has announced the phased introduction of a new traffic light operating mode — "All Red" — which will synchronously stop traffic at certain intersections during the daily minute of silence. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine citing the Kyiv City State Administration (KCCA). The mode is scheduled to launch on September 15, 2026, and at the first stage it will cover 18 traffic light installations in the central part of the capital.
What will change from September 15
According to the KCCA's explanation, every day at 9:00 the traffic lights at the selected intersections will simultaneously display a red signal for all road users. This means that on the specified sections, cars, pedestrians, and cyclists will stop for one minute. At the same time, surface public transport will also stop, so drivers and passengers need to account for a brief pause in traffic on the sections where the new mode is introduced. The start and duration of the minute of silence will be announced via the alert system.
How the "All Red" mode will work
The KCCA emphasizes that the traffic rules regarding running a red light remain unchanged: the new mode does not cancel the existing regulations but only provides for a synchronized stop of traffic at certain traffic light installations within the framework of the minute of silence. The administration calls on drivers and pedestrians to stop every day at 9:00 and pay tribute to the memory of those killed as a result of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. Thus, the technical decision to switch the signals synchronously is combined with a civic gesture of remembrance, embedded into the everyday urban infrastructure.
Exceptions and limitations
The "All Red" mode will not be used during an air raid alert — in such cases, priority is given to the existing safety protocols. At the same time, operational and special vehicles with activated light and sound signals will be able to continue moving even during the minute of silence. This exception ensures that the new restrictions do not interfere with the work of emergency services and do not create obstacles for the movement of priority vehicles.
Context: precedents and related measures
The idea of synchronously stopping traffic at intersections is not new to global practice: similar "all red" modes have previously been used in other cities to coordinate mass stops of traffic. In Kyiv itself, related infrastructure and organizational measures have also been introduced in recent weeks: on September 9, the operating algorithm of the metro's "green" line was changed on a trial basis when the threat level is raised, and from September 10 this procedure is in effect on a permanent basis. In addition, the holding of mass outdoor events and at facilities without equipped shelters is temporarily restricted in the capital. Taken together, these steps form a unified package of measures aimed at adapting the urban environment to conditions of elevated threat.
