What to do at city intersections
Commuting downtown can be tough, so the Star asked city spokesperson Cheryl San Juan to break down a few local intersections
How well do you know how to use these Toronto street corners? Quiz,
Not every intersection in Toronto is the same. After the Star reported last week on the “confusing” intersection of Bay St. and Richmond St. W. — where we identified 609 infractions by drivers and cyclists in a two-hour time period — we asked readers to tell us about the Toronto intersections they hate and love to use.
Dozens of responses poured in from readers, many of whom aired frustrations about driving, cycling and walking along Toronto streets.
Cyclist Erin Bell wrote that cars at Sherbourne St. and Bloor St. E. often ignore the dotted line that indicates where they’re supposed to merge.
Cars “just cross whenever they want, or don’t respect the fact that there's a bike lane there at all,” she wrote.
Another reader wrote in to say he finds Bathurst St. and Bloor St. W. especially easy to use: “I was certainly not convinced it would (work) when it first appeared, but in practice (it) turned out to work well,” he wrote.
Shawn Dillon, manager of cycling infrastructure and programs with the city of Toronto, agreed that consistent design language is needed across the city.
“We needed to try some different things to see what works and what doesn’t,” Dillon said. “Absolutely, as we move forward, we’re going to try and move towards a more standardized approach.”
The city received guidance on cycling infrastructure standardization with the Ontario Traffic Manual Book 18 in December 2013.
We asked city spokesperson Cheryl San Juan to explain how a few Toronto intersections work. Can you figure them out?
1. You are biking east on Adelaide St. and want to turn right onto Jarvis St., do you ...
Exit the green painted area, move to the right side of the lane closer to the curb? Stay in the cycle track?
What the city says: Cyclists should use a hand signal to indicate a right turn and move to the right side of the lane, to the right of the shared lane markings. They should complete the turn when the intersection is clear of southbound vehicles and yield to pedestrians.
2. You are driving east on Adelaide St. and want to turn right onto Jarvis St., do you ...
Use the curb lane, yielding to cyclists already in the lane?
Use the right-hand throughtraffic lane, to the left of the green?
Use the curb lane or the righthand through traffic lane, depending on which is clear of other road users?
What the city says: Drivers should use the shared curb lane to make a right turn onto Jarvis, yielding to the cyclists who are already in the lane. They should only make the turn when the intersection is clear of southbound vehicles and pedestrians.
3. You are biking on Remembrance Dr. at Lake Shore Blvd. W. and want to continue north on Strachan Ave., do you ...
Wait for the bicycle signal to turn green, then ride north? Wait for the traffic signal to turn green, then ride north? Wait for the pedestrian walk signal, then ride north?
What the city says: A cyclist should wait on the motion strips in the bicycle lane south of Strachan Ave., on Remembrance Dr. When the bicycle signal turns green, the cyclist can ride north.
4. You are biking south on Strachan Ave. at Lake Shore Blvd. W. and want to continue south on Remembrance Dr., do you ...
Wait for the bicycle signal to turn green, then ride south? Wait for the traffic signal to turn green, then ride south? Wait for the pedestrian walk signal, then ride south?
What the city says: There’s no bicycle signal for southbound road users; instead, they can utilize the traffic signal. A cyclist should follow the line markings to enter the cycle lane as it moves to the left of the right turn lane. Cyclists should keep continuing south with the green traffic light to connect with the Waterfront Trail.
5. You are biking west on Bloor St. W. at Bathurst St. and want to continue straight, do you ...
Follow the line markings to move into the cycle lane on the left of the right-turn lane.
Hug the curb, staying to the right of right-turning vehicles.
What the city says: A cyclist moving west on Bloor should follow the marked lines to move into the cycle lane on the left of the right turn lane.
6. You are driving west on Bloor St. W. and want to turn right onto Bathurst St., do you ...
Cross through the cycle lane and into the right-hand turn lane.
Not cross the cycle track, and make the turn from the righthand lane of through traffic
What the city says: Turning vehicles should cross through the cycle lane to enter the right turn lane, but must only change lanes when the bike lane is clear. Vehicles must yield to cyclists, who have the right of way. Drivers should only make the right turn when the crosswalks and vehicle lane is clear.