Driving in Canada
Question
Pedestrians have the right of way... always!
Answer
Toronto is a very pedestrian focused city. Most junctions will have some form of crosswalk or stop sign to allow pedestrians to walk and enforcing cars to wait. Stop signs must be adhered to. It's like a give way junction (for our UK visitors) but should be stopped at rather than a rolling stop. Whether there is a crosswalk or not, the pedestrian is priority when you reach a stop sign.
Question
Green means go for cars... AND pedestrians!
Answer
When your traffic light changes green, the go symbol for pedestrians also changes to allow them to cross the road adjacent, but not across. This means that if you are driving straight, the crossing pedestrians will not get in the way, as they walk in the same direction, BUT, if you are turning left or right, pedestrians take priority, so you must begin your turn but only continue when the crossing is clear of people.
Question
You can turn right on a red light, unless signs state otherwise.
Answer
That last part about pedestrians crossing when cars are going in the same direction is probably weird to picture for most, but to keep traffic flowing, cars can turn right on a red light providing there are no pedestrians crossing in front of the car, and of course no cars coming your way on the road. Treat a red light like a stop sign when turning right. If there are no people crossing and no cars, you're good to go! The only caveat is when there is a sign showing a red light crossed out, meaning you do not proceed right on a red. Wait for the green in this case... but watch out for those pedestrians crossing!
Question
Stop Signs on cross junctions & T Junctions - how does this work?
Answer
It's quite simple really.. it's a round robin based on first come first served. If you are at a cross junction where there are cars at other parts of the junction, let the cars already waiting go first, and you go after them... but watch out for pedestrians!
Question
What does that one red flashing light hanging above a junction mean??
Answer
I have asked many Canadians, and never had the same answer twice. No one really knows. I treat it the same as a cross junction stop sign, and my observations are that everyone else does too. There is also an amber light variation to this on some country roads. Also not sure what this means yet. I think this one means you are on the main road, but proceed with caution as there is a cross junction with a minor road.
Question
Street Car Lanes
Answer
You can drive on some street car lanes, but others you cannot. Street cars are only found in the Downtown area, and my advice is just don't drive on those lanes unless you see other cars already in them. It's the easiest and safest way! Also driving in those lanes sucks... the tires get moved a little in the tram lines and make steering harder to control. Stick to the normal roads. ALSO - when a streetcar is stopped in front of you to let passengers on and off, you must stop behind it and cannot overtake. Just be patient and wait. They have flashing lights and signs for when this happens so you won't miss it.
Question
Highways
Answer
The inside lane, or fast lane, is the lane furthest to the left (opposite of that in the UK due to driving on the opposite side of the road). Some highways have a "carpool & green vehicle lane". These lanes are reserved for vehicles with 2 or more people, or electric vehicles (not just a faster than fast lane as I first thought until Mar told me otherwise...) People like to drive bumper to bumper on the highways here, especially around Toronto. There isn't really a rule on the fast lane... drivers will tend to weave through traffic and just find the fastest route for themselves. If you are a nervous driver, best bet is to just stick to the slower lane on the far right. Be careful not to be stuck in an exit lane. Drivers aren't as polite as the UK, so when changing lanes they won't flash their lights to let you in. You just need to indicate and make your move when you feel it's safe. You may need to just push your way in sometimes. People enjoy honking their horns here. Don't take it personally... they just like to have fun :) The big thing is just be patient, and don't feel pressured to drive fast. Stay slow. Stay safe.
Question
Parking in Toronto
Answer
Parking in underground parking can be pricey during the week due to office workers parking there, but almost every underground parking whether it's residence or office will have paid public parking options. Avoid paid parking lots with those big yellow signs - they are over priced and just pointless. Green P parking is the best value. Download the Green P app and pop in your cars registration and you can simply park near a meter and put the 4 digit code in the app, choosing your length of parking stay. It gives you the price, and lets you add to this if you need more time. Green P is generally on-street parking. Mar and I also get 8 free visitor parking passes per month at our building, and we are very close to the CN Tower so a good location. We're happy for people to use them, but we need to register the car so you do not get ticketed (we can do this for up to 3 days per pass to allow maximum usage). There are limited spaces though, so if it's full when you arrive you need to wait for an available space or find another option. Registering the car does not reserve a spot for you.