I have never been involved in design of these and have little practical experience with them, I would defer to
@reaperexpress to offer intelligent commentary here.
I haven't been following this discussion so apologies in advance if any of this has already been discussed.
The corner islands are a defining characteristic of the Protected Intersection design, which has been the standard layout of Dutch intersections for a few decades now.
The main advantages that the corner island creates layout are:
1. Better angle of conflict (visibility) between cyclists and right turning drivers, so drivers can see cyclists approaching via the side windows instead of the mirror (or even worse, a blind spot):
2. Protected area for cyclists to wait while making a two-stage left turn
3. Tighter effective corner radius, and thus slower/safer turning speeds since the corner islands prevents drivers from cutting the corner like they normally would on a street with bike lanes.
4. Shorter crossing distances for pedestrians and cyclists.
The above illustrations are all taken from the Ontario Traffic Council Protected Intersection Guide, which also has lots more info on the topic:
https://otc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/OTC-Protected-Intersection-Guide-Final.pdf
The problem with the St. George & Bloor design is that it seems quite constrained, so instead of the smooth curves I encounter at the protected intersections in Ottawa, you have quite an abrupt turn around the corner island. Additionally the crossride setback seems to be less than the recommended 4m, which could actually put approaching cyclists in the blind spot for some vehicles. However, the corner islands do still achieve the other objectives, of which the most important is that it forces drivers to turn slowly. That safety benefit may be enough to outweigh the less-than-ideal geometry of the corner itself.
How about painting the concrete islands red? Those red priority bus lanes really stand out.
Understood if there is some technical / safety reason this can't be done.
Looking forward to commentary from
@reaperexpress.
Painting the curbs could be an option, though generally we'd use yellow since it represents the left side of the lane. However, Toronto is generally reluctant to paint stuff since it wears off quickly in our weather.
At minimum, this is clearly a case where an Object Marker sign should be installed according to
Ontario Traffic Manual Book 6:
In addition to reducing the likelihood of collisions with the island, we can reduce the consequences of collisions. One method is to use a bevelled curb, so the curb is angled instead of vertical. With angles of 45 degrees or below, cyclists are far less likely to fall down if they hit the curb.
Bevelled curb on a new bike path along Murray Ross at Steeles. This design has been well-received by road users including people with disabilities so we can expect it to become much more common across the City.
Looking
Northern Light's photos here it appears that the bike side of the corner island is in fact bevelled, but it definitely isn't 45 degrees. Maybe they could shave back the curb a bit to get a lower angle and thereby reduce the tripping hazard.