Are cyclists allowed to cross during a pedestrian walk signal if the light for cars is still red?

Open this photo in gallery:

Are bicycles allowed to proceed through an intersection when there is a red light for traffic but pedestrians have their advance walk sign? – David, Ontario

In Ontario, when the signal says walk, it means walk.

If the light is red but there’s a walk sign for pedestrians, cyclists could get a ticket for riding along with them.

Because bicycles are considered vehicles under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, cyclists have to follow traffic laws when riding. That includes following traffic lights and not cycling in crosswalks.

Illuminating the walk sign before the light turns green – which is called a leading pedestrian interval or an advance walk signal – is meant to let pedestrians get a head start on crossing the street before there’s traffic in the intersection. In Toronto, the advance walk stays on for five seconds before the light turns green.

Some cities, including Toronto, also have some separate advance signals for cyclists to let them start crossing first.

When there’s only a pedestrian advance walk signal, however, cyclists are supposed to stay put until the light turns green – unless they’re walking their bikes in the crosswalk.

Last summer, Toronto police ticketed cyclists for riding in the pedestrian scramble at Yonge and Dundas Streets on the walk signal while the light was red.

The rules vary by city and province. Quebec changed its rules in 2019 to allow cyclists to ride across intersections on the pedestrian walk signal, as long as they yield to pedestrians.

One Toronto lawyer said he thinks other jurisdictions should follow suit.

“Cyclists should be able to advance on the pedestrian’s signal because that gets you ahead of traffic,” improving the chance that motor vehicle drivers will see you, said David Shellnutt, who specializes in cases involving cyclists. “[Right now,] half of cyclists understand that you have to wait, and the other half either don’t understand or prefer to risk the ticket because they feel – and I’ve heard this from dozens of people – that it’s safer.”

Safer for cyclists?

Shellnutt said Toronto could allow cyclists to cross on an advance walk by changing its bylaw instead of “spending money” to put an advance cyclist signal at every intersection that now has an advance walk light.

“Sure, eventually they should [add signals],” he said. “But right now, they could simply make it clear to the general public by way of a few well-placed ads and a bylaw amendment that you can advance as a cyclist on a pedestrian signal.” Whatever the case, cyclists should still yield to pedestrians, Shellnutt added.

But Michael Longfield, executive director of advocacy group Cycle Toronto, said building more bike lanes and including specific crosswalks and signals for cyclists is a better idea than changing the law. “We need to ensure that we’re making the same kind of considerations to keep people on bikes safe that we make to keep pedestrians safe,” Longfield said.

Have a driving question? Send it to globedrive@globeandmail.com and put ‘Driving Concerns’ in your subject line. Emails without the correct subject line may not be answered. Canada’s a big place, so let us know where you are so we can find the answer for your city and province.