and here is the intersection you requested????

It seems the only two options are jumping the red or take the lane, I do both at my problem intersections. Though I don't have any 6 lane ones, I do have quite a few 6-way intersections. If I don't take the lane I get buzzed. If I wait till it's green I get buzzed.

edit: (it seems a pretty far walk to cross 6 lanes, and it sounds like the green is not very long)

However, at least a few times when running a red I thought there was no one coming and started up, only to suddenly see a car there running the yellow. So it's dangerous, but so is waiting until the green when the drivers are all putting the pedal to the metal and swerving around the left turners.

Yeah, I drove through it once.

I have been coping, of course... Sometimes i can get across without incident(though this only seems to happen when I am the first person in the queue). I have blinkers etc - I am visible as a cyclist. Taking the lane is fairly impossible because of the stream of solid traffic, I will signal I want space, but it will involve taking chances and cutting somebody off to get it. If i don't get it i'm very dangerously(under 6") of the curb on the opposite side and getting buzzed on the left. If i take the lane earlier before the intersection i get passed and right-hooked because the car in front of me is long gone before i get to the entrance of the intersection. Not to mention huffing all that exhaust and what the heck is the point of riding a bicycle if i'm stuck in traffic.

Honestly, i'm not really interested in explaining the intersection or showing pictures for a critique. I was just wondering how many of you have taken to jumping the red at problem intersections, or found a solid solution.

Just keep jumping the signal if that works for you. No need to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Jump it. I've spent a lot of time in Toronto but never had a need to cycle there. You have courage.

Major artery Steeles Ave? Just guessing.

For those who are not familiar with Toronto it is the 5th largest city in North America (after Mexico City, NYC, LA and Chicago)and a major transportation hub of all east west Canadian Traffic and probably accounts for about 75% of all North-South freight traffic to and from the US. So in addition to about 5 million cars on the roads at any given time there are a few thousand trucks fighting their way through the city in all directions. Virtually no one I know in Toronto has a commute of less than an hour in either direction.

Most side streets may look like two lanes but most shoulders lanes are bumper to bumper parked cars.

There are two common speeds on Toronto side streets: stopped and 80km/hr.

Traffic violations may be ticketed in Toronto but you need to be doing 40 over or have expired plates.

Really, I doubt Toronto drivers care at all about cyclists as you are just one of a million daily obstacles they fight through to get where they are going. If jumping it doesn't land you under their wheels I say giddy-up.

Stay safe,

TNO