Bicycle and bus signals, and red lights that won’t change

Explanation

Bicycle signals show only bicycle symbols. They control a bike lane or separate bike path and apply only to bicyclists. The colors mean the same as for cars: red stop, yellow right of way ending, green go. A bicyclist may turn left from a designated left-turn lane on a one-way street to another one-way street, with the flow of traffic.

Bus or transit signals show white rectangular bars. They control a bus or transit lane and apply only to bus or transit operators.

Red lights that fail to change. A person operating a bicycle may get stuck at a red light if the signal fails to change to green, and people operating motorcycles and motor driven cycles often get stuck the same way.

• A bicyclist at a bicycle signal stuck on red may go through after a complete stop of at least two minutes, using due caution.
• An operator of a motorcycle or motor driven cycle at a signal stuck on red may do the same: complete stop of at least two minutes, then due caution.
• This rule does not apply to autocycles.

Example

You are driving a car in the lane beside a bus lane. A signal above the bus lane shows a white bar. That signal is for the bus driver only — follow your own signal.

Common mistake

Assuming every driver may go through a stuck red light after two minutes. The manual gives this rule to bicyclists at bicycle signals and to motorcycle and motor driven cycle operators — not to autocycles.

What the manual says

A signal that displays only bicycle symbols controls a bike lane or a separate bike path and is only applicable to bicyclists.

A signal that displays white rectangular bars control a bus or transit lane and are only applicable to bus or transit operators.

This rule does not apply to autocycles