I have a road sign question for all of you today. Here is a photo (from Google) of Bloor Street West and Symington Avenue in Toronto. It is an offset intersection. And as you will see, there are signs saying no right-hand turns on red, “except with green arrow.”
Also present at the intersection is a traffic light with the ability to communicate in four different ways: a green circle, a yellow circle, a red circle, and a green arrow pointing right. My question to all of you is this: when is it permissible to turn right?
It is clearly not permissible to turn right when the light is red. But can you turn right with either a full green circle or a green right arrow, or can you only turn when there’s a green arrow pointing right? i.e. No right when there’s just a green circle.
If you can, please leave a comment below. Depending on how this goes, I could be either winning a bet or losing a bet.
BRANDON DONNELLY 
It is clear no right turn on red; yellow and green are also acceptable to make right turns.
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100% turn right on a green circle. The only reason they have a green arrow is because there is no right on red. When traffic is yielding at the intersection due to a red, the only indicator to turn right is a green arrow.
The only time you have to obey a green arrow is when there is a sign saying “turn on green arrow only”
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I’d certainly be turning right with either the full green circle or the green right arrow.
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I know this intersection really well, drive through it all the time. You can turn right on green or with the green arrow.
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The only time you CANNOT turn right, is when the light is red. Except when the light is red AND a green arrow is also shown.
So, when you approach, check if the light is red. It is, OK, now check for the green arrow, it’s the only thing that can override the red light.
But when that red light is off, anything goes.
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I agree with Marty.
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Right turns on both. Green arrow implies that the right lane can proceed without stopping, so pedestrians are being instructed not to cross.
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Got it. Thanks James.
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2 votes here for green arrow + green are acceptable to turn right here.
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Sounds like this is the right answer. It’s a confusing sign. I was wrong. I understand the logic now.
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Hey Brandon—from my prior traffic engineering life:
* Full green: You can do all allowable movements in the intersection, but have to yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians traveling crossing the cross street you’re approaching.
* Green arrow: The indicated direction is protected, i.e., you can go ahead and turn in that direction, without needing to yield to other traffic or pedestrians (weirdly enough, in BC that arrow is blinking).
* Full red: No entry into the intersection is allowed EXCEPT when a green arrow allows a specific protected movement (see above) or for right-turns-on-red. The latter can be limited, however, if there’s a specific sign that prohibits right-on-reds, as in this case.
So, in this intersection you can turn right on EITHER full green or green arrow, BUT with full green you need to yield to pedestrians crossing the intersection, if there’s a ped crossing (with green arrow the peds would be stopped by the ped signal). And because of the specific sign, a right-on-red is prohibited.
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You’re an expert, Oliver. Thank you!
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