Over the next few weeks, we'll highlight ten bike facilities in Toronto we think could use some improvement.

10 - Sentinel Avenue (at Finch)

Sentinel Avenue bike lane
No doubt a popular route amongst York University bike commuters, the intersection of Sentinel and Finch creates an unnecessary conflict between cyclists and drivers. Bike lanes should not be striped next to a right-turn only lane, as it creates confusion for both cyclists and drivers who has the right of way on the green light. The lane should be angled to continue between the straight through lane and the right turn lane, as it does in many other bike lanes in the city.

So what should happen at intersections where there is a bike lane, but traffic in the next lane over can go either straight through or turn right? This is why bike lanes are dotted at intersections. A right-turning vehicle should safely merge into the bike lane as if it was another lane of traffic before beginning their turn. A cyclist behind this vehicle can choose to wait for the vehicle to turn, or shoulder check and pass safely on the left. A cyclist arriving first at an intersection where there is a lot of right turning traffic may wish to move out of the bike lane into the middle of the lane at the intersection to avoid being right-hooked.