LYB Metrolink Survey Results - Friends of the Earth …€¦ ·...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

Metrolink*and*Cycle*Safety*

Survey*Results*!! !September*2015*!!!

! Metrolink!and!Cycling!Safety!Survey!5!Love!Your!Bike,!September!2015! ! ! 2! !!

!

*

1! Introduction*..........................................................................................*8*

!

2! Research*findings:*tram*collisions*with*other*road*users*.............*10!2.1! Tram!–!cycle!collisions!.........................................................................................................!10!2.2! Under5reporting!of!incidents,!damage!and!injuries!..............................................................!12!!

3! Love*Your*Bike:*Metrolink*–*cycle*safety*issues*survey*analysis* 14!3.1! Number!of!respondents!/!incidents!experienced!or!witnessed!............................................!14!3.2! Which!of!the!following!best!describes!what!happened?!......................................................!15!3.3! As!a!result!of!the!incident!did!you!suffer!any!of!the!following:!damage!/!minor!injuries!......!15!3.4! As!a!result!of!the!incident!did!you!suffer!any!of!the!following?:!major!Injuries!....................!17!3.5! Over!the!past!three!years!have!you!felt!unsafe!when!cycling!alongside,!close!to,!or!across!Metrolinks!tracks?!...........................................................................................................................!18!3.6! Change!in!cycling!behaviour!................................................................................................!19!3.7! Incident!reporting!.................................................................................................................!20!3.8! Outcome!of!the!incident!report!............................................................................................!21!3.9! Compensation!claims!..........................................................................................................!22!3.10! Locations!of!incidents!..........................................................................................................!22!3.11! Limitations!with!the!survey!...................................................................................................!23!!

4! Other*Metrolink*–*cycle*safety*incidents*reported*via*email,*

Facebook,*Twitter*and*the*internet*............................................................*26!4.1! Manchester!Evening!News!Facebook!page!........................................................................!26!4.2! Incidents!found!via!internet!searches!..................................................................................!27!4.3! Responses!to!Love!Your!Bike!twitter!account!.....................................................................!29!!

5! Cycle*safety*issues*with*tram*networks*in*other*cities*..................*32!5.1! Croydon!...............................................................................................................................!32!5.2! Sheffield!...............................................................................................................................!33!5.3! Edinburgh!............................................................................................................................!33!5.4! Nottingham!..........................................................................................................................!34!!

6! Metrolink*tram*route*designs*and*impacts*on*cycle*safety*...........*36!6.1! Greater!Manchester!Cycle!Design!guidance!and!cycling!targets!........................................!36!6.2! Cycling!and!road!positions!...................................................................................................!37!6.3! Take!control!and!take!the!lane!............................................................................................!37!6.4! Safe!alternative!routes!.........................................................................................................!39!6.4.1! Southmoor!Road!/!Altrincham!Road!junction!...................................................................!40!6.4.2! Ashton!New!Road!............................................................................................................!43!6.4.3! Every!Street!.....................................................................................................................!44!!

7! Next*steps*and*recommendations*....................................................*46!


!

!!

List*of*Tables*and*Figures*Table* Description* Page*

1! Tram!collisions!with!other!road!users!in!the!UK!(1st!April!2010!–!28!February!2015)!

11!

2! Tram!collisions!with!other!road!users!(Metrolink!cases)! 11!3! Tram!collisions!with!bicycles!–!cases!reported!to!ORR! 12!4! Number!of!incidents!experienced!or!witnessed! 14!5! Gender!of!respondents!who!experienced!incidents! 14!6! The!age!ranges!of!all!respondents! 15!7! Which!of!the!following!best!describes!what!happened?! 15!8! As!a!result!of!this!incident!did!you!suffer!any!damage/!minor!injuries?! 16!9! Major!injuries!reported!and!other!serious!injuries!not!‘flagged’!as!

major!by!respondents.!17!

10! Over!the!past!three!years!have!you!felt!unsafe!when!cycling!alongside,!close!to,!or!across!Metrolink!tracks?!

19!

11! Gender!and!safety!issues! 19!12! Changes!to!behaviour!as!a!result!of!incidents! 19!13! Reporting!and!non5reporting!of!incidents! 20!14! Recipient!organisations!of!the!incident!reports! 21!15! The!outcomes!after!reporting!the!incidents! 21!16! Did!you!request!/!receive!compensation?! 22!17! Comments!on!the!Manchester!Evening!News!Facebook!page! 26!18! Eccles!New!Road!incident,!16th!July!2010! 28!19! A!sample!of!responses!to!the!Love!Your!Bike!Twitter!account! 29!! ! !

Figure* Description* Page*

1! Number!of!cyclists!admitted!to!a!hospital!bed!in!England!(2011512)! 13!2! The!reported!injuries!suffered!as!a!result!of!the!incidents! 16!3! As!a!result!of!this!incident!did!you!suffer!any!of!the!following!–!Major!

injury!(broken!bones,!skin!cuts!etc)!2009!–!2015!18!

4! Injuries!suffered!from!Rochdale!incident! 27!5! An!indication!of!‘secondary’!and!!

‘primary’!cycling!positions!on!the!carriageway!33!

6! How!would!you!safely!‘take!the!lane’?! 38!7! Where!does!the!cycle!fit!and!how!would!you!take!‘primary!position’!?! 38!8! Video!of!tram!passing!person!cycling!on!Ashton!New!Road! 39!9! Southmoor!Road!(Northbound).!1.2!metres!between!tram!line!and!

white!carriageway!line.!40!

10! Traffic!would!be!passing!on!both!sides!and!at!speed! 40!11! Build!out!forces!people!cycling!to!merge!with!traffic!bounded!by!tram!

line!41!


!

12! Southmoor!Road!–!Southbound!traffic! 41!13! A!‘Safe!Alternative’?! 41!14! Interim!Safety!Audit! 41!15! Twitter!report!of!cycle!crash!on!tramlines!at!Southmoor!Road! 42!16! Ashton!New!Road! 44!17! Every!Street!/!Merrill!Street!junction! 45!18! Cycle!needs!to!cross!curved!tram!tracks!with!traffic!behind! 45!

!*


!

*

The!Love!Your!Bike!Metrolink!–!Cycle!Safety! issues!survey!was!designed! to!gather! the!experiences!of! the!Greater!Manchester!cycling!community!when!cycling!alongside,!close!to!or!over!Metrolink!tram!tracks.!It!also!aimed!to!identify!the!scope!of!the!under5reporting!of!cycle!crashes!involving!the!Metrolink!tracks.!

The! survey! was! not! intended! to! be! representative! of! the! population! of! those! cycling! in!Greater!Manchester!but!to!give!those!who!have!had!experiences!of!cycling!on,!near!and!across!Metrolink!tracks!an!opportunity!to!report!them.!!Between! 12th! March! and! 30th! June! 2015,! 278! respondents! reported! that! they! had!experienced! an! incident! and! the! details! of! 190! Incidents!were! provided.! In! addition,! 39!respondents!reported!that!they!had!“witnessed!an!incident!involving!someone!else!cycling!alongside,!close! to!or!across!Metrolink! tracks”!and!details!were!provided!of!39! incidents!that!had!been!witnessed.!We!also!received!additional!reports!of!crashes!and!photographs!of!injuries!via!the!Love!Your!Bike!email!and!Twitter!accounts!as!well!as!via!the!Manchester!Evening!News!Facebook!page.!!*

Key*findings*and*Issues**

!What*happened:!84!(44%)!respondents!had! fallen!off! their!bicycles!when!cycling!along/!across!Metrolink!tram!tracks.!64!(36%)!respondents!had!caught!their!bicycle!wheels!in!the!tram!tracks.!!Damage/injuries:!110! (56%)! respondents! reported!damage! to! their!bicycles!or!clothing,!and! 56%!also! reported! suffering!minor! injuries! (bruises,! grazes).! 49! (25%)! respondents!reported! suffering! major! injuries! (broken! bones,! skin! cuts).! Further! cases! of! serious!injuries!were!also!reported!via!other!sources.!!Unsafe:!261!(94%)!respondents!reported!that!they!had!felt!unsafe!“often”!or!“sometimes”!when! cycling! alongside,! close! to! or! across! tram! tracks.! This!was! “often”! for! 160! (58%)!respondents!and!“sometimes”!for!101!(36%).!Only!12!(4%)!respondents!reported!that!they!“rarely”! or! 4! (1.4%)! “never”! felt! unsafe!when! cycling! alongside,! close! to! or! across! tram!tracks.!!Greater!Manchester! should! not! be!designing! cycle! routes! that!make!people! feel! unsafe!when!cycling.!This!will!not!help!us!achieve!the!Velocity!2025!ambitions.!!Changed*behaviour:!!88!(45%)!respondents!reported!that!they!now!take!a!different!route!and! 96! (50%)! reported! being! more! cautious! when! cycling! near! tram! tracks.! 22! (11%)!

Executive!summary!


!

reported! that! they!cycled! less!often!and!6! (3%)! reported! that! they!have!stopped!cycling!because!of!Metrolink!tram!tracks.!People!have!changed!their!cycling!behaviour!and!some!have!stopped!cycling!altogether!because!of!their!experience!of!cycling!over!Metrolink!tram!tracks.!Not!a!desirable!outcome.!!UnderYreporting:!Over!85%!of! incidents!were!not!reported!at!all.!The!TfGM!response!to!our!Freedom!of!Information!application!suggested!they!had!received!9!reports!in!2013!and!29!in!2014.!Our!survey!indicates!that!23!incidents!were!not!reported!in!2013,!70!incidents!were!not!reported!in!2014!and!53!in!the!first!six!months!of!2015.!!What!implications!does!this!have!for!GM!Killed!&!Serious!Injuries!(KSI)!data?!What!would!be!the!road!safety!response! if! there!were!multiple!pedestrian!KSIs!reported!at!a!specific!location!/!junction?!How!can!we!improve!recording!/!reporting!of!such!incidents?!!!Recommendations**

!Love! Your! Bike! believes! that! the! findings! from! our! survey,! the! research! literature! and!examples! from! other! cities! highlight! the! need! for! Transport! for! Greater! Manchester,!Metrolink!and!the!Greater!Manchester!Combined!Authorities!to:!!

•! Accept! there! are! cycle! safety! design! issues! associated! with! the! Metrolink! tram!network! routes.! It! is! commonplace! for! individuals! to! often! 'blame'! themselves! but!the! institutional! response! appears! to! be! 'it's! your! fault! for! not! using! the! ‘safe!alternative'.!!!!

!•! Undertake! a! junction! by! junction! safety! review! to! assess! the! design! impacts! on!cycle! safety! and! identify! measures! to! improve! the! existing! tram! routes! for! safer!cycling.!We!should!not!need!to!wait!for!a!fatality!before!conducting!such!a!review.!

!•! Ensure!that!any!'safe!alternative'!routes!are!both!convenient!to!use!and!meet!all!of!the!TfGM!cycle!guidance!design!criteria.!

!•! To!locate!Greater!Manchester!NHS!data!for!bicycle!crash!injuries.!!

•! To! co5operate! with! other! agencies,! such! as! GM! Police,! hospital! trusts! and! local!councils! to! establish! an! effective! incident! reporting! and! mapping! system! that!encourages!people!to!report!and!identify!areas!of!concern.!!

!•! Include!the!cycling!community! /!organisations! in! the!design!process!from!an!early!stage!of!any!future!schemes!(eg!Trafford!Park)!

!•! Develop! better! educational! campaigns! and! training! resources! such! as! the!Nottingham! NET! cycle5tram! safety! video! and! training! course! and! clearer,! more!intuitive!signage.!

!


!

!!!


!

!The!Love!Your!Bike!campaign!is!based!in!Greater!Manchester.!We!aim!to!promote!cycling!and!to!help!make!it!an!attractive,!accessible!and!fun!way!to!get!around.!Cycling!is!far!more!than! a! leisure! activity:! it! is! the! low5carbon! transport! of! the! future.! Co5ordinated! by!Manchester! Friends! of! the! Earth,! we! aim! to! work! closely! with! other! like5minded!organisations.1!!In!December!2014,!Love!Your!Bike!was!among!the!cycling!organisations!invited!to!attend!a!meeting!with!Metrolink!/!Manchester!City!Council!staff!to!“discuss”!the!Southmoor!Road!/!Altrincham!Road!Metrolink!junction!in!Wythenshawe.!This!was!the!first!time!that!the!cycle!organisations!present! had! seen! the!detailed!designs!prior! to! construction.!However,! the!meeting!was!not!intended!to!discuss!the!road!and!junction!layout!–!but!rather!to!consider!the!text!and!colour!of!signage!to!be!installed!for!the!‘safe!alternative!route’.!!!!Following! this!meeting,! Love!Your!Bike! volunteers! visited! the! site! and!were! appalled! at!what! we! consider! to! be! the! unsafe! junction! design! and! the! total! inadequacy! of! the! so5called! ‘safe! alternative! route’.! Due! to! our! concerns,! Love! Your! Bike! co5ordinated! a!statement! that! was! delivered! at! the!Manchester! Cycle! Forum! and! supported! by! British!Cycling,! CTC,! GM!Cycling! Campaign,! Sustrans,! University! of! Manchester! Bicycle! User!Group!and!a!range!of!other!organisations!and!individuals.!!!!!The! statement! called! on! Transport! for! Greater! Manchester,! Metrolink! and! its! project!contractors!to!ensure!that:!

a)! remedial! measures! are! taken! to! improve! the! cycling! infrastructure! provision!along!existing!Metrolink!routesm!b)! future!Metrolink! routes,! such! as! Trafford! Park,!must! be! designed! to!meet! the!TfGM!Cycle!Design!guidance!which!outlines! the!5!key!criteria! “for!successful!and!effective! cycling! infrastructure”,! namely:! safety,! coherence,! directness,!attractiveness!and!comfort.!c)!the!cycling!organisations!in!Greater!Manchester!are!involved!from!the!beginning!of!the!design!process.!2!

!The! impact! of! the! on5road! Metrolink! tram! network! on! people! cycling! had! been! raised!earlier.!For!example,!see!the!November!2012!Manchester!Evening!News!article!“Olympic!coach! Shane! Sutton,! badly! hurt! in! bike! crash,! says* tram* lines* around* Manchester*Velodrome*are*‘death*trap’*for*cyclists”.3!![Emphasis!added].!!

1! Introduction!


!

To!try!to!understand!the!scope!and!severity!of!these!injuries!we!carried!out!a!review!of!the!available!research!literature!and!datasets!(see!Section!2)!and!also!submitted!Freedom!of!Information!requests!to!Transport!for!Greater!Manchester!(TfGM)!asking!for:!!!

a)! Details!of!the!number!of!Metrolink!track!/!bicycle!crash!cases!which!have!been!reported.!!

b)!A!copy!of!the!Safety!Audit!for!the!Southmoor!Road!junction.!!Responses!to!these!requests!were!received!in!February!2015!and!showed!that!9!bicycle!crash!cases!had!been!reported!to!TfGM!in!2013!and!29!cases!in!2014.4!!!However,! Love! Your! Bike! volunteers! had! also! received! a! number! of! anecdotal! reports!from! people! who! had! crashed,! suffered! broken! bones! and! a! range! of! other! injuries! or!damage.!These!reports!suggested!that!many!more!cases!were!occurring!than!were!being!formally!reported.!!The! research! literature! review! indicated! that! there!was!very! little! data!available!on! road!crashes!involving!trams!and!that!there!is!a!major!issue!of!under5reporting!of!cycle!crashes,!particularly!where!no!third!party!is!involved.!As!will!be!discussed!in!later!sections,!this!has!important!implications!for!the!Killed!or!Seriously!Injured!(KSI)!figures!and!road!safety!plans!in!Greater!Manchester.!!Therefore,!we!designed!and!publicised!a!survey!to!gather!data!from!the!cycling!community!in! Greater!Manchester! of! their! experience! cycling! alongside,! close! to! or! over!Metrolink!Tram!tracks.!5!!The!survey!was!launched!on!Thursday!12th!March!and!was!promoted!via!the! Love! Your! Bike!website,! email! list,! Facebook! and! Twitter! account.! A! press! release!resulted!in!coverage!in!the!Manchester!Evening!News6!and!other!outlets.!The!survey!link!and!press! release!were! tweeted!at!over!220!bike!groups,!people!and!organisations!and!were!retweeted!by!70+!organisations!with!a!potential!audience!of!450,000+.!!!Between! 12th! March! and! 30th! June! 2015,! 278! respondents! reported! that! they! had!experienced! an! incident! and! the! details! of! 190! incidents! were! provided.! In! addition,! 39!respondents!reported!that!they!had!“witnessed!an!incident!involving!someone!else!cycling!alongside,!close! to!or!across!Metrolink! tracks”!and!details!were!provided!of!39! incidents!that!had!been!witnessed.!!!!We!also! received!additional! reports!of! crashes!and!photographs!of! injuries!via! the!Love!Your! Bike! email! and! Twitter! accounts! as! well! as! via! the! Manchester! Evening! News!Facebook!page.!!!The*following*sections*present*the*results*of*our*literature*searches*and*the*survey*

results* and* highlights* the* impact* of* the* current* Metrolink* tram* track* designs* on*

cycling*safety*across*Greater*Manchester.!!!! !


!

!A! literature!search!was!undertaken! to! identify! research!reports!and!data!sets!relevant! to!tram!collisions!with!other!road!users.!!Despite! the! potential! seriousness! of! such! incidents,! there! is! little! published! research! or!data!on!the!impact!of!tram!tracks!on!other!road!users!and!bicycles!in!the!United!Kingdom.!Other!countries!such!as!Australia,!France,!Sweden,!Norway!and! the!United!States!both!collect!and!analyse!tram!accident!data!on!a!more!regular!basis.!(See!Bibliography).!!A!2007!study,! reported! that:! “No*UK*government*statistics*were* found* that* reported*the*number*of* road*crashes* involving*trams.”7!A! finding! that!was! repeated! in!a!2008!report! that! stated:! “Trams! were! an! area! of! interest! to! SHIAN! [Scottish! Health! Impact!Assessment!Network],!but*we*were*unable*to*locate*much*research*around*the*health*impacts*of*tram*systems.”8![Emphasis!added].!

2.1! Tram!–!cycle!collisions!

One! of! the! few! detailed! studies! looked! at! injuries! in!Sheffield,!which! found! that! cyclists!appear! to! be! the! group! at! highest! risk! from! tram5related! injury.! The! most! commonly!described! scenario! was! one! where! the! cycle! wheels! became! stuck! in! the! tram! tracks!resulting!in!loss!of!control!of!the!cycle.!

“Thirty!one!patients!sustained!fractures,!most!commonly!involving!the!upper!limb/!shoulder!girdle!(63%),!with!cyclists!suffering!83%!of!these!serious!upper!limb!injuries.!Following!assessment!38!patients!were!discharged,!29!patients!were!referred!to!fracture!clinic,!12!were!sent!for!physiotherapy!and!11!admitted!to!hospital.!Eight!patients!required!a!total!of!13!operations!during!the!study!period.!We*have*demonstrated*a*significant*number*of*injuries*in*this*study*related*to*the*

tram*system*in*Sheffield.*Cyclists*appear*to*be*the*group*at*highest*risk,!followed!by!pedestrians!and!motor!vehicle!users.”9![Emphasis!added]!

A!2014!journal!article!examined!injuries!due!to!‘wedging!of!bicycle!wheels!in!on5road!tram!tracks’!in!Amsterdam!reported!that:!

Tram*tracks*on*public*roads*are*potentially*dangerous*and*can*lead*to*serious*

injuries*and*even*mortality*amongst*cyclist.!Operative!intervention!is!frequently!needed.10![Emphasis!added].!

A!2013!Swedish!study!of!Cycling!Safety!and!Infrastructure!Maintenance!noted!that:!

2! Research!findings:!tram!collisions!with!other!road!users!


!

“Another!road5design5related!accident!cause!of!no!mean!importance!was!tram!rails,!which!is!remarkable!considering!that!few!cities!in!Sweden!have!trams.”11!

The!UK!Office!of!Rail!and!Road!(ORR)!has!published!a! ‘Summary!of! tram!collision!with!other!road!users!in!the!UK!from!1st!April!2010!to!28th!February!2015’!dataset.12!!The!tables!show!the!number!of!cases!reported!to!ORR!for!tram!operators!by!year!and!type!of!road!user.!Table!1!shows!that!collisions!between!Metrolink!trams!and!other!road!users!comprised!the!largest!proportion!of!cases!reported!to!ORR.!!Table*1:*Tram*collisions*with*other*road*users*in*the*UK*from*1st*April*2010*to*28th*February*

2015*(all*cases)*

Organisation*Name* 2010* 2011* 2012* 2013* 2014* 2015* Total* %*of*

cases*

Blackpool!Transport!Services!! !! !! 1! 2! !! !! 3! 2.5!Croydon!Tramlink!! 3! 4! 5! 3! 11! 1! 27! 22.3!Edinburgh!Trams! !! ! ! ! 8! 1! 9! 7.4!Metrolink!RATP!DEV!UK!Ltd!(incl!Stagecoach!Metrolink)!

3! 4! 2! 3! 22! 9! 43! 35.5!

National!Express!Midland!Metro! !! ! ! 2! ! 1! 3! 2.5!Nexus!!! !! ! ! ! 1! ! 1! 0.8!Nottingham!LRT!! !! 1! 2! 6! 15! 2! 26! 21.5!Stagecoach!Supertram!(Sheffield)! !! 1! 2! ! 4! 1! 8! 6.6!The!Metro!(West!Midlands)! !! ! ! ! 1! ! 1! 0.8!Total! 6! 10! 12! 16! 62! 15! 121! !

!!Table*2:*Tram*collisions*with*other*road*users*(Metrolink*cases)!Other*road*user* 2010* 2011* 2012* 2013* 2014* 2015* Total*

Cyclist! ! ! ! ! 2! ! 2!Mobility!scooter! ! ! ! ! 1! ! 1!Motor!vehicle! 1! 1! ! 1! 7! 6! 16!Overhead!line! ! 1! ! ! ! ! 1!Pedestrian! 1! 2! 2! ! 4! 1! 10!Road!vehicle! ! ! ! 2! 8! 2! 12!Shopping!trolley! 1! ! ! ! ! ! 1!Total! 3! 4! 2! 3! 22! 9! 43!

NB:!Data! taken! from!ORR.!Motor!vehicle! is!a! road!vehicle!driven!by!a!motor!or!engine.!There!are!other!types!of!road!vehicles!without!a!motor!or!engine.!!!Table!3! indicates! that!between!1st!April!2010!and!February!2015!only!4!cases! involving!collisions!between!trams!and!bicycles!were!reported!to!ORR.!50%!of!these!cases!involved!Metrolink!trams.!!


!

!Table*3:**Trams*collisions*with*bicycles*–*cases*reported*to*ORR*(1

st*April*2010*

–*February*2015)*

Organisation!Name! 2013! 2014! Total!Blackpool!Transport!Services!! 1!

!1!

Metrolink!RATP!DEV!UK!Ltd!!

2! 2!Nottingham!LRT!!

!1! 1!

Total! 1! 3! 4!!The!ORR!dataset!highlights! that!“Incidents!which!are!reported!to!ORR!are!based!on!the!criteria! set! out! by! the! Reporting! of! Injuries,! Diseases! and! Dangerous! Occurrences!Regulations! (RIDDOR)! 1995! until! 1st! October! 2013! and! the! revised! RIDDOR! 2013!regulations!after!that!date.”!!The! Health! &! Safety! Executive! (HSE)! website! provides! guidance! for! when! injuries! to!workers!should!be!reported!and!in!relation!to!the!public!states!that!for!“Non5fatal!accidents!to!non5workers!(eg!members!of!the!public):!

“Accidents!to!members!of!the!public!or!others!who!are!not!at!work!must!be!reported!if!they!result!in!an!injury!and!the!person!is!taken!directly!from!the!scene!of!the!accident!to!hospital!for!treatment!to!that!injury.“!….!“There*is*no*need*to*report*incidents*where*people*are*taken*to*hospital*purely*as*a*precaution*when*no*

injury*is*apparent.”13*[Emphasis!added].!

The!ORR!data!relates!to!collisions!between!trams!and!other!road!users,!including!cyclists.!!However,!it!is!clear!from!the!RIDDOR!guidance!that!even!when!people!suffer!fairly!serious!injuries! –! if! they! are! not! taken! “directly! from! the! scene! of! the! accident! to! hospital! for!treatment!to!that!injury”!or!transport!themselves!to!an!Accident!&!Emergency!unit!–!not!an!uncommon!occurrence!–!then!the!ORR!data!will!under5report!the!number!of!injuries.!!Contrast! this! to! the!situation! in!France!where!a! “national! database!has!been!created! to!gather!all!information!on!tram!accidents.”14!!The!issue!of!under5reporting!of!cycling!injuries!is!discussed!further!in!the!next!section.!

2.2! Under5reporting!of!incidents,!damage!and!injuries!

One! theme! that! was! identified! in! the! research! literature! was! that! of! under5reporting! of!crashes!involving!people!cycling!particularly!when!no!third5party!is!involved.!The!issues!of!under5reporting!of!bicycle!crash!cases!within!police!data!(STATS19)!and!hospital!data!are!well!documented.!(See!bibliography).!!!This! issue!was!also!highlighted!by! the! lawyer! co5ordinating!a! class!action! legal! case! in!Edinburgh.!


!

"There!is!massive!under5reporting!from!cyclists!who!are!falling!off!their!bikes!as!a!result!of!hitting!tram!tracks.”!“The!injuries!include!broken!jaws,!cheek!bones!and!collarbones!as!well!as!a!broken!foot!from!a!bus!driving!over!it.”15!

An!NHS!Bristol!report!entitled!‘An!introduction!to!non5collision!cycling!incidents’!detailed!that!12,301!cyclists!were!admitted!to!a!hospital!bed!(in!England)!as!a!result!of!a!non5collision!transport!accident!during!2011512.!16!See!Figure!1.!

Figure*1:*Numbers*of*cyclists*admitted*to*a*hospital*bed*in*England*during*

2011Y12*

!These! estimates!would! indicate! that! during! 2011/12! between! 295! and! 386! cyclists!who!were! admitted! to! a! hospital! bed! (in! England)! as! a! result! of! a! non5collision! transport!accident!were!likely!to!have!done!so!because!of!rail/!tram!tracks.!!Obviously,! not! all! of! these! cases!were! due! to! tram! tracks! but! the! estimates! provide! an!indication!of!the!scale!of!the!potential!problem.!It!is!also!important!to!remember!that!these!figures!are!for!people!admitted!to!a!hospital!bed!in!one!year.!There!will!have!been!a!much!greater!number!of!cases!that!whilst!serious,!did!not!require!admittance!to!a!hospital!bed.!!We! have! requested! similar! data! from! the! Greater! Manchester! Clinical! Commissioning!Groups,! but! so! far!with! limited! success.!We!are! also! in! discussions!with! academic! and!medical!researchers!in!other!cities!with!operational!tram!services.!!!!!


!

!This!section!presents!the!results!of!the!analysis!of!the!Love!Your!Bike!survey!data.!Later!sections! discuss! the! design! and! policy! issues! arising! from! the! survey! results! and!developments!in!other!cities.!

3.1! Number!of!respondents!/!incidents!experienced!or!witnessed!

Between! 12th! March! and! 30th! June! 2015,! 278! respondents! reported! that! they! had!experienced! an! incident! and! the! details! of! 190! incidents! were! provided.! In! addition,! 39!respondents!reported!that!they!had!“witnessed!an!incident!involving!someone!else!cycling!alongside,!close! to!or!across!Metrolink! tracks”!and!details!were!provided!of!39! incidents!that!had!been!witnessed.!Table!4!shows!which!years!the!incidents!occurred.!!Table*4:*Number*of*incidents*experienced*or*witnessed*

Year* Experienced* Witnessed* Total*

2005! 2! 5! 2!2009! 1! 5! 1!2011! 1! 5! 1!2012! 14! 2! 16!2013! 28! 2! 30!2014! 79! 19! 98!2015! 63! 12! 75!Undated! 2! 4! 6!! ! ! !Total! 190! 39! 229!!Tables!5!and!6! illustrate! that! over! 70%!of! the! respondents!were!male!and! respondents!were!mainly!in!the!26535!(34.7%),!36545!(29.3%)!and!46564!(25.5%)!age!ranges.!!!Table*5:*Gender*of*respondents*who*experienced*incidents*

! Number* %*

Female! 84! 26.7%!Male! 223! 71.1%!Prefer!not!to!say! 7! 2.2%!! !

!Total! 314!!!

!

3! Love!Your!Bike:!Metrolink!–!cycle!safety!issues!survey!analysis!


!

!Table*6:*Age*ranges*(all*respondents)*

What!is!your!age!group5! Number! %!Under!18! 1! 0.3%!19525! 23! 7.2%!26535! 110! 34.7%!36545! 93! 29.3%!46564! 81! 25.5%!65!or!over! 9! 2.8%!Total! 317! !

3.2! Which!of!the!following!best!describes!what!happened?!

“I#was#riding#home#from#work#and#my#front#wheel#got#caught#in#the#tracks#and#I#went#over#my#handle#bars#knackering#my#back#and#shoulder#up#the#bad#thing#was#the#tram#was#in#sight#a#couple#of#mins#earlier#and#I#wouldn't#be#her#to#write#this.”!

Table!7!highlights! four!general! categories!of!what!happened! following! the!190! incidents!reported.! Over! 40%! of! respondents! reported! that! they! had! fallen! off! their! bicycle! when!cycling!along!or!across!the!Metrolink!tram!tracks.!!Table*7:*Which*of*the*following*best*describes*what*happened?*(experienced*incidents)*

! Number! %!I!fell!off!my!bicycle!when!cycling!along!/!across!Metrolink!tram!tracks! 84!

!44.2%!

I!skidded!on!the!track!but!did!not!fall!off!my!bicycle! 17! 8.9%!My!bicycle!wheels!were!caught!in!the!tram!track! 64! 36.3%!Other!(for!further!detailed!comments!see!Appendix!1)! 20! 10.5%!! ! !Total! 190! !!36%!of!respondents!reported!that!their!bicycle!wheels!had!been!caught!in!the!tram!tracks.!

3.3! As!a!result!of!the!incident!did!you!suffer!any!of!the!following:!damage!/!minor!injuries!

“Getting!caught!in!tram!tracks!and!falling!off!is!one!problem!5!minor!cuts/bruises!and!damage!to!bike/clothes.!Far!more!dangerous!is!the!situation!that!you!then!find!yourself!in!5!on!the!ground!with!potential!for!motorists!or!tram!to!run!you!over.”!

Table! 8! indicates! that! 56%! of! respondents! reported!minor! injuries! (bruises,! grazes! etc)!and!49!respondents!(25%)!reported!major!injuries!(broken!bones,!skin!cuts!etc).!!


!

!Table*8:*As*a*result*of*this*incident*did*you*suffer*any*of*the*following?*(n=194)*

!Yes* No* Percentage*(yes)*

Damage!to!your!bicycle!or!clothes! ! ! !

!110! 84! 56.7%!

Minor!injury!(bruises,!graze,!etc)!! 109! 85! 56.1%!

Major!injury!(broken!bones,!!skin!cuts,!etc)!! 49! 145! 25.2%!

Other!(see!Table!9)! ! ! !!The!results!of!the!respondents!who!answered!Yes!in!the!survey!and!gave!details!of!their!injuries!or!damages!are!shown!in!Figure!2,!which!illustrates!that!over!55%!of!respondents!suffered!both!damage! to! their! clothes!or!bikes!and!also! received!minor! injuries!such!as!bruises!or!grazes.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A! quarter! of! respondents! reported! that! they! had! suffered!major! injuries! (broken! bones,!skin!cuts!etc).!!!However,! as! Table! 9! indicates,! several! respondents! described! suffering! serious! injuries!(long5term!knee! injury,!broken! finger,!black!eye!and!should! injury!etc.),!but!did!not! ‘flag’!them!as!major!injuries.!e.g!they!only!mentioned!them!in!the!comments!sections.!!!These!are!marked!in!Table!9!with!bold!text.!!


!

!Table*9:**Major*injuries*reported*and*other*serious*injuries*not*‘flagged’*by*the*respondents*

As*a*result*of*this*incident*did*you*suffer*any*of*the*following?Y*[Other]* Reported*as:*

Torn!cruciate!ligament! Major!Torn!cartilage!behind!left!kneecap!! Major!Stiches!above!the!eye! Major!Soft!tissue!damage! Minor!Shoulder!still!painful! 5!Shoulder!injury!still!hurts!today! Major!Scarring*Y*have*photos*of*injury* Minor!Possibility* that* delayed* spinal* alignment* problems* were* caused*

by*the*fall*

Minor!

No!broken!bones,!several!bruises!inc.!to!ribs,!leg!&!arm! Major!Muscular*damage*and*cartilage*damage* 5!Major!shock!and!danger! 5!LongYterm*knee*injury* 5!Injured*knee* Minor!I!was!badly!shaken!and!lost!my!concentration!for!a!while! 5!I! injured! my! knee,! couldn't! bend! my! leg! for! a! couple! of! weeks! and!attended!A&E!where!they!stitched!up!the!cut.!This!was!a!bit!between!Minor!and!Major!injury,!hence!the!detail!!

Major!

I* hit*my* head* and* cheek* (wearing* helmet)* and*was*momentarily*

unconscious**

Minor!

Broken*finger* 5!Black*eye*and*shoulder*injury* 5!!

3.4! As!a!result!of!the!incident!did!you!suffer!any!of!the!following?:!major!Injuries!

“Result!of!crash:!broken!upper!humerus.!Two!to!three!months!recovery!period.!Will!be!off!work!most!of!that!time,!she!is!a!primary!school!nursery!teacher.”!

Figure! 3! highlights! the! major! injuries! as! a! result! of! incidents! between! 200952015.! The!highest!numbers!of!injuries!(21)!are!recorded!to!have!occurred!in!2014.!!!For! more! detailed! documented! reports! of! broken! bones! witnessed! or! experienced! by!cyclists!see!Appendix!2.!!


!

!!It! is! clear! that!many! respondents! have! suffered,! or!witnessed! serious! injuries,! including!broken!bones!from!cycling!near!or!across!Metrolink!tram!lines.!

3.5! Over!the!past!three!years!have!you!felt!unsafe!when!cycling!alongside,!close!to,!or!across!Metrolinks!tracks?!

“Cycling!close!to!the!tracks!is!nerve!wracking.!Turning!across!tracks!is!incredibly!stressful.”!

Over!94%!of! respondents! reported! that! they! “often”! (57.8%)!or! “sometimes”! (36.5%)! felt!unsafe!when!cycling!alongside,!close!to!or!across!tram!tracks.!Only!4.3%!of!respondents!reported!that!they!“rarely”!and!1.4%!“never”!felt!unsafe!!when!cycling!alongside,!close!to!or!across!tram!tracks!(See!Table!10).!!


!

!Table*10:*Over*the*past*three*years*have*you*felt*unsafe*when*cycling*

alongside,*close*to,*or*across*Metrolink*tracks?***

!Number* Percentage*

Often! 160! 57.8%!Sometimes! 101! 36.5%!Rarely! 12! 4.3%!Never! 4! 1.4%!! ! !Total! 277! !Table!11! indicates! that! two!thirds!of! female!respondents!“often”! felt!unsafe!when!cycling!alongside,!close!to!or!across!tram!tracks.!!!!Table*11:*Gender*and*safety*issues.*

Over!the!past!three!years!have!you!felt!unsafe!when!cycling!alongside,!close!to,!or!across!Metrolinks!tracks?!(n=181)!/!Gender!

!Women*

%*of*gender*

total* Men*

%*of*gender*

total*

Prefer*not*

to*say* Total*

Often! 35! 66%! 70! 56%! 1! 106!Sometimes! 17! 23.1%! 48! 38.4%! ! 65!Rarely! 1! 1.9%! 6! 4.8%! 2! 9!

Never! 0! 5! 1! 0.8%! ! 1!Total! 53! ! 125! ! 3! 181!!Whilst! the! figure! for!men!was! 56%,! around! 90%! of! both!men! and!women! respondents!reported! that! they! felt!unsafe! “often”!or! “sometimes”!when!cycling!alongside,!close! to!or!across!tram!tracks.!

3.6! Change!in!cycling!behaviour!

“I!avoid!Ashton!New!Road!entirely!now!on!a!bike,!it!is!simply!lethal.”!

Over!40%!of! respondents! reported! that! they!now! take!a!different! route!and!nearly! 50%!report!being!more!cautious!when!cycling!near!tram!tracks.!12!reported!cycling! less!often!and! 3.2%! reported! that! they! have! stopped! cycling! because! of! Metrolink! tram! tracks.!Further!comments!from!cyclists!are!available!in!Table!12:!!Table*12:*Changes*to*behaviour*as*a*result*of*incidents*

* Yes* Percentage*

No,!it!has!not! 7! 3.7%!Take!different!route! 88! 46%!I!still!cycle!near!tram!tracks!but!am!more!cautious! 96! 50.2%!Cycle!less!often! 22! 11.5%!Stopped!cycling! 6! 3.1%!Total! 191! !Comments*

Can't!avoid!them!as!its!my!job!


!

Table*12:*Changes*to*behaviour*as*a*result*of*incidents*

Have!not!used!road!bike!since.!Now!stick!to!(mainly!off5road)!mountain!biking.!I!don't!cycle!in!Manchester,!but!I!would!be!much!more!careful.!It!has!made!me!much!more!cautious!!I!now!tend!to!have!to!get!off!my!bike!to!cross!the!tram!tracks!if!I!have!to!cross!them.!I!slow!down!to!walking!speed!when!crossing!tracks,!ready!to!fall!off!Not!much!impact!to!my!cycling!as!this!was!a!bit!of!a!one5off,!and!partly!due!to!the!fencing!by!the!roadworks!during!the!line!construction!gradually!pushing!me!towards!the!rail!so!when!I!did!have!to!cross,!I!was!forced!to!do!so!from!a!shallow!angle.!Now!the!line!is!open,!I!probably!wouldn't!face!the!same!issue!on!Hardy!Lane.!As!it!happens,!I've!never!before!or!since!had!to!cycle!parallel!to!tracks!as!my!usual!journeys!(including!the!Altrincham!Road!junction)!just!happen!to!cross!tacks!at!90!degrees!(if!they!go!near!at!all),!but!I'll!be!very!wary!next!time.!Re!above:!!I!avoid!Ashton!New!Road!entirely!now!on!a!bike,!it!is!simply!lethal.!This!was!not!my!usual!route.!I!would!be!very!uneasy!cycling!near!Metrolink!lines!again!but!thankfully!don't!have!to!during!my!usual!commute!!Unable!to!cycle!at!the!moment!due!to!injury!When!I!cross!tram!lines!I!tend!to!climb!off!my!bike!and!walk!!

3.7! Incident!reporting!

“I!tried!to!online!but!as!a!Trafford!resident!the!Manchester!website!didn’t!allow!and!I!got!frustrated”!

Table!13!indicates!that!over!85%!of!incidents!experienced!by!the!survey!respondents!were!not! reported! to! an! “authority”.! The! Transport! for! Greater! Manchester! response! to! the!Freedom!of!Information!application!suggested!they!had!received!9!reports!in!2013!and!29!in! 2014.17! In! contrast,! the! Love! Your! Bike! survey! indicates! that! 23! incidents! were! not!reported!in!2013,!70!incidents!were!not!reported!in!2014!and!in!the!first!six!months!of!2015!that! 53! incidents! were! not! reported.! The! under5reporting! of! cycle! crashes.! Particularly!when!no!third!party!was!involved!is!discussed!in!Section!2.2!!!Table*13:*Reporting*and*nonYreporting*of*incidents*

! Did*not*report* Did*report* Total* %*reported*

2005! 2! 5! 2! 0!2009! 1! 5! 1! 0!2011! 1! 5! 1! 0!2012! 13! 1! 14! 7.1%!2013! 23! 5! 28! 17.8%!2014! 70! 9! 79! 11.3%!2015! 53! 10! 63! 15.9%!Undated! 4! 2! 6! 33.3%!! ! ! ! !Total! 167! 27! 194! 13.9%!!


!

Of! the!25!respondents!who!had!reported! their! incidents,!Table!14! indicates!which!public!organisation!the!incidents!were!reported!to.! Table*14:*Recipient*organisations*of*the*incident*reports*

Incident*reported*to* No.*of*incidents*reported*

TfGM! 9!Metrolink! 5!Police! 6!Local!Council! 5!Other!(see!further!comments!below)! 5!After!discussion!with!GP.!Employer.!“I!tried!to!online!but!as!a!Trafford!resident!the!Manchester!website!didn’t!allow!and!I!got!frustrated”.!Reported!to!British!Cycling.!Tried!to,!fell!on!deaf!ears.!

3.8! Outcome!of!the!incident!report!

!“I!was!told!that!I!should!not!be!cycling!on!the!tram!tracks!and!that!I!should!have!gone!round!them.”!

Table! 15! outlines! quoted! outcomes! from! the! 25! respondents! who! had! reported! their!incidents!(see!Table!13).!It!is!not!uncommon!for!people!to!be!informed!that!the!damage!or!injuries!were!effectively!their!own!fault.!!!Table*15:*The*outcomes*after*reporting*the*incidents*

Nothing!they!denied!any!liability! *

No*liability*They!said!that!they!felt!that!they!did!not!contribute!enough!to!cause!the!crash!and!therefore!would!not!cover!the!cost!of!fixing!my!bike.!

!*

I!heard!nothing!back!from!the!Council.!I!didn’t!follow!up.! *

No*

response*Never!heard!anything!back!No!investigation.!

!!

No!outcome!yet!5!in!the!hands!of!our!solicitor.!see!later!for!details.! !!!Pending*

Not!yet!known!On!going!Police!attended!the!accident!5!a!helpful!policeman!was!just!behind!in!his!patrol!car!me!as!I!crashed!off.!Don't!know!of!any!outcomes!as!of!yet.!I!am!in!contact!with!a!solicitor.!Still!going!through!the!process!

!!

Basically!they!said!I!didn't!follow!the!correct!route!whilst!passing!the!tram!station!and!was!sent!a!map!showing!me!which!route!I!should!take!which!contradicted!the!road!markings!on!the!road.!

!!!!!Your*fault*

Basically!they!said!I!was!at!fault,!they!took!no!responsibility.!I!was!told!that!I!should!not!be!cycling!on!the!tram!tracks!and!that!I!should!have!gone!round!them!and!was!sent!a!diagram!of!the!route!I!should!have!taken!which!was!not!correct.!Solicitor!letter!stating!I!should!have!taken!the!cycle!route!around!the!tram!lines.!TfGM!informed!me!that!there!is!adequate!signage!warning!of!tram!lines5A!claim!which!I!totally!dispute!!!


!

Table*15:*The*outcomes*after*reporting*the*incidents*

They!advised!me!it!was!my!fault!and!that!I!should!cross!at!a!different!angle.!!Which!was!not!true.!They!said!they!were!not!responsible,!basically!my!fault!

3.9! Compensation!claims!

Table!16!shows!that!over!90%!(178)!of!the!respondents!did!not!apply!for!compensation.!Of!the! 14! who! reported! that! they! that! had! applied! for! compensation,! 10! (5.2%)! were!unsuccessful!and!4!cases!are!pending.!!Table*16:*Did*you*request*/*receive*compensation?*

!Number* %*

No,!I!did!not!apply!for!compensation.! 178! 92.7%!Yes,!I!applied!for!compensation!and!the!application!is!still!pending.! 4! 2.1%!Yes,!I!applied!for!compensation!but!was!unsuccessful.! 10! 5.2%!

!! !

Total! 192! !!Love!Your!Bike!believes! that!most!people!who! report!an! incident!when!cycling!along!or!across! tram! tracks! do! not! do! so! to! seek! compensation.! They! report! the! incident(s)!because!they!would!like!to!see!improvements!to!the!designs!and!to!help!stop!other!people!suffering! discomfort,! pain! or! injuries! caused! by! cycling! alongside! /! over! Metrolink! tram!tracks.!!However,!we!would!suggest! that! if!design! issues!are!not!adequately!addressed!then!the!number!of!claims!for!compensation!are!likely!to!increase.!

3.10! Locations!of!incidents!

We!are!aware!of!some!technical!issues!with!the!survey!software,!particularly!the!mapping!function! and! access! problems! from! some! devices! /! operating! systems.! A! number! of!respondents! reported! that! they! had! struggled! to! use! the! mapping! function! within! the!survey.!!The!key!locations!where!people!experienced!or!witnessed!incidents!are:!!Ashton!New!Road!Chorlton:!Barlow!Moor!Road!Manchester!City!Centre!Oldham!City!centre!Rochdale!City!Centre!Salford!Quays!Wythenshawe.!!


!

165! location! co5ordinates!were! provided! and!we! continue! to!work! on! providing! a! visual!representation! of! these! locations.!We! would! welcome! the! opportunity! to! work! with! GM!Police,! health! trusts,! local! councils! and! Transport! for! Greater!Manchester! to! develop! a!more!effective!reporting!and!mapping!system!for!such!incidents.!!

3.11! Limitations!with!the!survey!!

The! survey! was! not! intended! to! be! representative! of! the! population! of! those! cycling! in!Greater!Manchester!but!to!give!those!who!have!had!experiences!of!cycling!on,!near!and!across!Metrolink!tracks!an!opportunity!to!report!them.!!We!are!aware!of!a!number!of!technical!issues!relating!to!the!survey!software,!particularly!the!mapping! function!and!access! from!mobile! devices.!Given! time!and! resources! these!could!be!resolved!if!we!were!to!attempt!a!future!survey.!!a)*Potential*survey*bias:!There! is!also! the! issue!of! the!potential! for!bias! in! the!survey!design!with!one!respondent!commenting!that:!

“This!survey!seems!to!be!specifically!looking!for!problems,!with!leading!questions!rather!than!neutral!questions.!I'd!expect!this!from!Metrolink,!but!not!from!FOE!”!

The!survey!was!designed! to!collect! respondents’!experiences!of!cycling!close! to/!across!Metrolink!tracks!and!the!promotional!text!for!the!survey!on!the!website!made!our!concerns!and!objectives!very!clear:!

“Love!Your!Bike!is!concerned!that!there!have!been!a!number!of!incidences!where!cyclists!have!crashed!or!been!injured!when!cycling!close!to/across!Metrolink!tracks.!But!from!anecdotal!discussions!it!seems!that!many!people!have!not!reported!these!incidents.”!

“If!the!design!of!Metrolink!tracks,!particularly!at!road!intersections,!puts!cyclists!at!risk,!we!want!to!highlight!this!problem!and!work!for!improvements.”!

In!addition,!several!other!respondents!did!not!seem!to! think! the!questions!were! ‘leading’!and!made!it!very!clear!that!they!thought!cyclists!were!the!problem:!

“All!cyclists!are!lying!w.....s”!

“yes!make!sure!all!bikes!are!insured!as!they!are!the!ones!causing!all!the!problems!by!riding!3!abreast!I!think!the!outer!2!should!be!knocked!off!their!bikes!for!holding!up!TAX!paying!road!users”!

More! importantly,! in! terms!of!highlighting! that! the!survey!effectively!collected!a! range!of!differing!opinions!several!respondents!reported!that!they!did!not!consider!there!to!be!any!problems!with!cycling!along/!across!Metrolink!tram!tracks.!For!example:!

“A!far!worse!problem!is!all!the!potholes!in!the!roads.!I!have!no!issue!with!cycling!across!tram!tracks.”!


!

“I've!never!had!a!problem!and!don't!find!the!signs!confusing!at!all.“!

“Never!had!a!problem!and!think!it!is!quite!safe.!I!am!not!sure!how!things!can!be!improved!apart!from!ensuring!all!future!lines!are!segregated!away!from!cycle!routes.“!

“People!never!complained!in!the!old!days!when!every!road!had!tram!lines!in!them.!People!are!far!too!soft!and!thick!these!days,!and!have!to!be!told!everything.!Just!takes!common!sense.!There!are!more!important!things!to!worry!about!like!jumping!red!lights.”!

However,!it!is!was!very!clear!that!the!majority!of!respondents!did!not!share!these!views.!!b)* Survey* software* issues:! We! are! aware! of! some! technical! issues! with! the! survey!software,! particularly! the! mapping! function! and! access! problems! from! some! devices! /!operating!systems.!For!example:!

“This!questionaire!doesn't!work!properly!for!iPhones!so!unable!to!use!the!map!to!explain!where!the!four!incidences!occurred.!All!four!happened!at!the!top!of!Mosley!St!near!Marks!&!Spencer's.!That!area!is!lethal!for!cyclists!!”!

“Accident!was!in!St!Peter's!Square!5!I!am!responding!on!a!Kindle!with!no!right!click!ability!to!use!your!map!indicator!earlier!in!the!questionnaire.”!

“This!is!one!of!a!number!of!incidents!I've!had!on!Metrolink!tracks,!probably!five!in!all,!but!the!map!tool!was!so!clunky!I've!just!reported!one.”!

“On!my!mobile!device!I!couldn't!get!the!map!to!work,!but!my!incident!was!on!Eccles!New!Road.!Bad!surface,!bad!cycle!lane!and!signage,!bad!junctions,!many!cars,!impatient!tram!drivers!and!tram!tracks!do!not!make!a!good!mix.”!

!Whilst! such! issues! are! clearly! undesirable,! they! are! likely! to! have! resulted! in! under5reporting!of!cases!in!the!survey!data.!!c)*Survey*time*window:!The!3!year!period!that!we!set!may!have!also!resulted! in!some!people!deciding!not!to!complete!the!survey.!For!example:!

“I!answered!'no'!to!most!of!these!questions.!The!reason!it's!'no'!is!because!I'm!ultra5careful,!having!had!an!unpleasant!crash!on!my!Brompton!in!2001!when!the!wheel!got!stuck!in!a!tram5track!and!I!carried!on!moving.!This!resulted!in!serious!bruising!and!time!off!work.!Please!take!this!into!consideration.”!

“I!came!off!on!tram!tracks!some!time!ago,!outside!the!3!year!window.!It!takes!some!thoughtful!decisions!on!the!bike!to!avoid!getting!the!wrong!angle!as!you!cross!them.!!Perpendicular!is!best,!and!anything!approaching!parallel!is!a!nightmare,!sometimes!you!have!to!manoeuvre!yourself!further!into!traffic!than!you'd!want!to!to!avoid!the!danger!angles.!Parts!of!Eccles!New!Road!cycle!lanes!almost!force!you!into!uncomfortable!positions.”!

!


!

Once!again,!this! issue!is! likely!to!have!resulted!in!under5reporting!of!cases!in!the!survey!data.!!Overall,!the!objective!of!the!survey!was!to!collect!data!from!the!cycling!community!across!Greater!Manchester!of!their!experiences!of!cycling!near!to,!alongside!or!across!Metrolink!tram!tracks!and!to!highlight!the!under5reporting!of!such!cases.!We!believe!that!the!survey!has!successfully!achieved!this!objective.!!!!!!!!!!


!

*

In! addition! to! the! cases! reported! via! the! survey,! we! also! received! additional! reports! of!crashes!and!photographs!of!injuries!via!the!Love!Your!Bike!email!and!Twitter!accounts!as!well!as!via!the!Manchester!Evening!News!Facebook!page.!

4.1! Manchester!Evening!News!Facebook!page!

Table!17!shows!a!selection!of!the!comments!on!the!Manchester!Evening!Facebook!page!which!posted! the!MEN!article!on! the!Metrolink! survey.18! !Where! identifiable,! the!gender!and!date!information!has!been!added!by!Love!Your!Bike.!Respondents!identified!incidents!on!Southmoor!Rd!(Wythenshawe),!St!Peters!Square!(City!Centre),!Rochdale!and!Ashton!New!Road.!!Please!note!that!it!is!possible!that!some!people!describing!their!crashes!in!Table!17!have!also!replied!to!the!survey.!!Table*17:*Comments*on*the*Manchester*Evening*News*Facebook*page*

Description* Gender* Date*

I'm!not!a!cyclist!but!whilst!driving!on!Southmoor!the!cyclist!in!front!of!me!went!over!the!handle!bars!when!his!wheel!went!into!the!track!!!!GLAD!I!don't!drive!like!a!maniac!(as!some!do!around!there!)!He!would!have!been!under!my!wheels!too!!!!A!few!passersby!helped!him!to!his!feet!and!after!me!shouting!are!you!ok!mate!he!gave!thumbs!up!that!he!was!!!!!But!very!disturbing!incident!!!!!!

Male! Not!given!

I!left!my!knee!in!St*Peters*Sq!after!riding!in!a!tramline.!Still!got!a!scar!that!looks!like!a!map!of!Australia...6!years!on.!

Male! 6!years!ago!

When!the!Metrolink!was!being!built!I!caught!my!tyre!in!the!tramline!and!fell!off,!hurting!my!leg!and!ripping!my!coat,!a!216!bus!was!about!100!m!behind!and!stopped!to!see!if!I!was!ok!which!was!more!than!the!Metrolink!workers!did!!I!was!cycling!to!the!Etihad!to!fetch!some!FA!Cup!tickets,!I!walked,!rather!battered!and!bruised!and!was!given!some!medical!assistance!and!managed!to!cycle!back!albeit!rather!slowly!and!on!the!pavement.!When!the!tramlines!are!wet!they!are!lethal!5!BEWARE!cyclists!!

Female! !

Front!wheel!jammed!in!the!tracks!nr!St*Peters*Square!and!went!over!the!handlebars.!Only!minor!injuries,!luckily!no!vehicular!traffic!on!the!road!at!the!time.!Picked!up!bike,!got!straight!back!on!and!continued!cycling.!

Male! !

Being! thrown! over!my! handle! bars!when!my! front! wheel! got! caught! in! the!tram!lines!

Male! !

4! Other!Metrolink!–!cycle!safety!incidents!reported!via!email,!Facebook,!Twitter!and!the!internet!


!

Table*17:*Comments*on*the*Manchester*Evening*News*Facebook*page*

I!was!riding!home!from!work!and!my!front!wheel!got!caught!in!the!tracks!and!I!went!over!my!handle!bars!knackering!my!back!and!shoulder!up!the!bad!thing!was!the!tram!was!in!sight!a!couple!of!mins!earlier!and!I!wouldn't!be!here!to!write!this!

Male! !

I!had!a!bad!crash!a!couple!of!weeks!ago!doing!over!25!mph!in!Rochdale*town*centre!at!6.45am!in!the!rain!I!was!injured!but!went!on!to!complete!the!hundred!miles!I!had!planned!for!that!morning!was!in!pain!for!over!a!week!damage!to!clothing!and!bike!probably!excess!of!£600!pounds!to!replace!with!new.!Gutted!because!I!knew!the!lines!were!there!but!didn't!realise!how!slippy!crossing!them!was!until!I!was!off!!

Male! 2015!

!The!person!who!recounted!their!incident!in!Rochdale!posted!the!photograph!(Figure!4)!of!the!injuries.!!

!

Figure*4:*Injuries*suffered*from*Rochdale*incident*

!

4.2! Incidents!found!via!internet!searches!

The! following! statements! are! from! cyclists! regarding! the! Ashton! New! Road! Metrolink!route:!

“Fell!off!in!Manchester!last!year,!the!new!line!out!East!is!about!the!worst!bit!of!road!planning!I've!ever!seen.!If!you!miss!the!last!second!90!degree!cycletrack!to!oblivion,!you're!forced!to!cross!the!track!at!45!degrees.!No!chance.”!19!

and!

“I!have!come!a!cropper!on!the!ones!in!Manchester!too,!went!cartwheeling!past!the!side!of!the!bus!in!Clayton.!No!major!injuries!but!knackered!bib5shorts!and!a!waterproof.!


!

The! police! car! following! showed! a! lot! of! concern! as! they! slowed! down! for! all! of! 2!seconds! had! a! bit! of! a! look! whilst! I! was! licking!my! wounds! on! the! pavement,! then!carried!on!their!merry!way.!I!have!never!cycled!that!way!since!due!to!the!terrible!track!layout!which!crosses!back!and!forth!across!the!road!repeatedly,!worst!bit!of!planning!and!design!ever.!20!

A! letter! published! on! the! New! Civil! Engineer! website! in! April! 2013,! recounted! another!person!suffering!a!crash!on!Ashton!New!Road.!The!respondent!poses!question:!

!“whether!the!CDM!responsibility!of!the!scheme!designer!to!avoid!foreseeable!risks!to!health!and!safety!can!be!discharged!through!the!provision!of!copious!warning!signs”.21!

Table!18!shows!a!location!and!a!description!of!an!earlier!incident!that!occurred!on!Eccles*New*Road!on!16th!July!2010.22!!!Table*18:**Eccles*New*Road*incident,*16

th*July*2010*

!

!I!fell!off!my!bike!yesterday!commuting!along!Eccles!New!Rd!in!Salford!and!badly!dislocated!my!finger.!I!had!to!go!to!casualty!to!have!put!back!in!place!and!today!I!am!all!bumps!and!bruises.!As!I!am!feeling!so!sore!I!have!started!to!look!at!why!I!fell.!I!basically!caught!my!wheel!in!tramlines!while!commuting!to!work,!the!wet!tramlines!didn’t!help!as!my!wheels!skidded!into!the!grooves.!I!was!on!my!commuter!bike!with!wide!grippy!tyres(for!commuting)!so!as!stable!and!as!I!could!be.!After!considering!it!more!I!feel!it!is!a!very!dangerous!road!for!cyclists.!The!road!has!a!cyclepath!shared!with!tram!lines!(manchester!metrolink)!and!cars.!!The!problem!is!that!the!cyclepath!takes!you!on!the!left!hand!side!and!then!makes!you!cross!over!the!tram!lines!at!a!very!bad!angle!to!continue!forward.!This!is!compounded!by!traffic!who!are!either!turning!left!or!going!forward!which!means!you!are!going!slowly!over!the!tramlines!and!even!more!liable!to!get!stuck!in!them.!Its!a!very!serious!accident!waiting!to!happen!given!you!fall!in!front!of!


!

cars!going!at!least!30mph!along!the!road.!Especially!in!the!mornings!when!people!are!more!concerned!with!getting!to!work!on!time.!Its!a!very!busy!road!as!its!the!main!road!from!the!city!to!Eccles!and!near!the!motorway!slip!rd.!!I!think!I!was!lucky!to!just!to!get!the!injuries!I!did!and!it!has!made!me!quite!angry!how!the!road!and!the!cyclepath!designed.!Am!I!being!grumpy,!I!thought!I!would!get!the!opinion!of!other!cyclists!while!warning!them!of!this!road!and!maybe!feedback!from!a!few!who!know!of!it.!(16th!July!2010).!!

4.3! Responses!to!Love!Your!Bike!twitter!account!

Table!19!gives!a! few!examples!of! the!responses!received! to! the!Love!Your!Bike!Twitter!account.!Once!again,!it!should!be!noted!that!some!of!these!cases!will!have!been!reported!via!the!survey.!!!Table*19:*A*sample*of*responses*to*the*Love*Your*Bike*Twitter*account.*

!

!

!


!

!

!

!


!

!

!!It! is! clear! that! there! are! a! number! of! people! who! have! suffered! crashes! and! in! some!cases,!serious!injuries,!outside!those!cases!captured!by!the!Love!Your!Bike!survey.!Many!of!these!people!have!not!reported!their!incidents.!!!


!

!This!section!highlights!the!experience!of!the!cycling!community!with!tram!services!in!other!cities,!and!the!policies!and!procedures!that!have!been!introduced!that!could!help!improve!the!situation!in!Greater!Manchester.!

5.1! Croydon!

In!October!2014,!at!the!inquest!into!the!death!of!Roger!de!Klerk,!the!coroner!called!for!an!urgent!overhaul!of!“confusing”!tram!lines!that!led!to!a!cyclist!being!run!over!by!a!bus.23!!!In!her!report,!the!coroner!raised!a!number!of!concerns.!We!have!listed!them!in!full!as!we!believe!that!these!concerns!also!directly!relate!to!a!number!of!the!issues!identified!with!the!design!of!Metrolink!tram!routes!in!Greater!Manchester.!!

Coroner's!Concerns:!During!the!course!of!the!inquest!the!evidence!revealed!matters!giving!rise!to!concern.!In!my!opinion!there!is!a!risk!that!future!deaths!will!occur!unless!action!is!taken.!In!the!circumstance!it!is!my!statutory!duty!to!report!to!you.!The!MATTERS!OF!CONCERN!are!as!follows:5!

(1)!Tramlines!present!a!significant!danger!for!cyclists,!either!by!being!caught!in!the!lines!or!slipping!on!the!metal,!particularly!in!the!wet.!

(2)!The!design!and!appearance!of!the!bicycle!lane!at!the!junction!of!Addiscombe!Road!and!Cherry!Orchard!Road!may!cause!confusion!for!cyclists!who!are!apparently!required!to!go!onto!the!pavement!before!the!junction!in!order!to!cross!it!safely.!The!cycle!path!continues!into!the!junction!so!that!cyclists!turning!left!will!be!forced!to!parallel!with!the!lines,!rather!than!crossing!at!90!degrees,!which!is!safer.!

(3)!For!cyclists!who!do!go!onto!the!pavement,!the!intended!route!goes!over!two!tactile!paving!areas!and!involves!contact!with!pedestrians!crossing!at!the!junction.!

(4)!The!signage!at!the!junction!is!confusing!and!appears!to!suggest!that!the!tram!route!is!a!cycle!route,!yet!the!lines!are!frequently!close!to!pavement!at!the!junction!and!at!other!areas!further!along!Addiscombe!Road.!

6.!ACTION!SHOULD!BE!TAKEN!

In!my!opinion!action!should!be!taken!to!prevent!future!deaths!and!I!believ!you!have!the!power!to!take!such!action!by!undertaking!an!urgent!review!of!the!provision!for!cyclists!on!or!near!tramlines!both!at!this!junction!and!generally.24!

5! Cycle!safety!issues!with!tram!networks!in!other!cities!


!

!In! January! 2015,! it! was! reported! that! Croydon! Council! and! Transport! for! London! (TfL)!would!be!undertaking!a! ‘junction!by! junction’!safety!audit! to!assess!every!point!at!which!cycle! lanes! cross! Tramlink! routes,! with! particular! focus! on! the! East! Croydon! junction!where!Roger!De!Klerk!slipped!on!the!tracks!and!fell!into!the!path!of!a!bus.!25!!We!await!the!outcome!of!the!Croydon!review!process.!However,!Love!Your!Bike!believes!that! the! experience! of! people! highlighted! in! the! survey! highlights! the! need! for! TfGM! to!undertake!a!similar! ‘junction!by! junction’!safety!audit!of! the!Metrolink!network! in!Greater!Manchester.!We!should!not!have!to!wait!for!a!fatality!before!such!a!review!is!undertaken.!

5.2! Sheffield!

An! earlier! section! (2.1)! highlighted! that! people! cycling! in! Sheffield! were! the! group! at!highest!risk!from!tram5related!injury.!See!Cameron,ICm!Harris,NJm!Kehoe,NJS!(2001)!!!!A! 1998! report! from! Sheffield! City! Council! estimated! that! there! are! a! minimum! of! 33!accidents!per!annum!where!cyclists!have!difficulties!with! tram! tracks,!and!over!50%!are!serious!in!nature.26!!We! not! aware! of! any! published! incident! or! injury! data! since! this! date.! Although! Cycle!Sheffield!have!created!a!tram!incident!form!and!encourage!people!to!report!incidents.27!!The!blog!post!“Cycling!and!the!Sheffield!Tram!Network!–!A!match!made!in!hell!”!28!outlines!some!of!the!issues!and!concerns!that!affect!people!cycling!along,!near!and!across!tram!lines!in!Sheffield.!

5.3! Edinburgh!

In!October!2013,! it!was! reported! that!Edinburgh!City!Council!would! investigate! the! tram!tracks!at! the!Haymarket! junction!area!after!cyclists!had!raised!concerns!about!accidents!caused!by!wheels!getting!stuck!or!“snagged”!in!the!tram!tracks.29!!!However,! in! January! 2015! it! was! reported! that! Edinburgh!City!Council! is! facing! a! legal!challenge! from!Thomson!Solicitors! Scotland!who! are! representing! over! 60! cyclists!who!have!been!injured!on!Edinburgh's!tram!tracks.!30!

One!of!the!partners!at!the!law!firm,!told!BBC!Scotland!that:!

"We've!had!people!who've!lost!finger!tips,!we've!had!people!who've!had!broken!collar!bones,!we've!had!people!who've!had!broken!legs.!To!my!mind,!it's!absolutely!inevitable!that!unless!something!happens!we!will!see!a!death!on!the!streets!of!our!capital!city."31!

The!date!for!the!court!case!is!not!yet!known.!


!

!The!local!cycle!campaign!group,!Spokes,!have!had!a!legal!advice!sheet!for!people!injured!when!cycling!over!tram!tracks!online!since!August!2010.32!

5.4! Nottingham!

In!June!2014,!the!Nottingham!Post!reported!that!Rosemary!Palethorpe!had!been!cycling!home!from!work!when!her!wheels!got!stuck!in!the!tracks.!“She!was!thrown!from!her!bike!and! landed! on! her! forehead,! causing! injuries! to! her! face,! hands,! arms! and! legs,! and!suffering!from!whiplash.”!33!!In!September!2014,! there!were! reports!of!a!Nottingham!man! 'lucky! to!be!alive'!after!his!bike! wheel! was! caught! in! new! tramlines! and! he! suffered! broken! ribs! and! a! punctured!lung.34!!It!is!clear!that!many!people!cycling!near!to!/!over!the!NET!tram!tracks!in!Nottingham!have!also!suffered!crashes!and! injuries.!With!a!Nottingham!Post!poll!of!cyclists! reporting! that!“over!50%!have!some!kind!of!incident!or!fall!due!to!the!tram!tracks.”!The!Nottingham!Post!article!also!reported!that! the!response!NET!was!that! there! ‘have!been!very!few!reported!incidents’.!35!!A!not!unfamiliar!response.!!However,!NET!did!recognise!that!the!new!east5west!tram!routes!would!cross!many!regular!cycling!routes!and!many!more!cyclists!would! find! they!have! to!deal!with! trams!and! tram!lines! on! their! journeys.! Detailed! leaflets! for! the! two! new! Chilwell36! and! Clifton37! routes!were!produced.!!!In!addition,!Smarter!Travel!Nottingham!funded!Ridewise,!a!local!cycle!training!company,!to!run!Tram!Safety!sessions.!These!sessions!offered:!

“new!training!to!help!cyclists!understand!how!to!safely!share!Nottingham’s!roads!with!new!trams.!…Trams!are!a!new!feature!of!the!highway!and!cyclists!need!to!be!aware!of!the!potential!hazards.!In!particular,!please!make!sure!that!when!cycling!you!cross!tram!tracks!at!90!degrees!to!avoid!slipping!on!the!rails!”38!

There!also!appears!to!have!been!much!more! involvement!and!engagement!with!Pedals,!the!Nottingham!Cycle!Campaign,!throughout!the!design,!development!and!construction!of!the!expanded!tram!network.!For!example,!the!Pedals!website!reports!that:!

“Pedals!is!represented!at!the!quarterly!meetings!of!the!Greater!Nottingham!Light!Rapid!Transit!Advisory!Committee.!This!was!established!under!the!legislation!which!first!authorised!the!building!of!NET!Line!One,!to!ensure!that!various!user!and!business!interests!are!regularly!consulted!about!different!aspects!of!NET!operation!and!performance!and!to!discuss!comments!submitted!from!members!of!the!public.”39!


!

NET! have! also! produced! a! ‘Cycle! Safely! Near! Tram! Lines’! leaflet40! as! well! as! a! video!highlighting! safety! tips! for! cyclists! ahead! of! tram! testing! on! the! new! tram! routes! in!Nottingham.41!The!Metrolink!safety!leaflet!is!available!for!download.42!!The!Pedals!website!also!highlights! that*“Tramlink!Nottingham!are!now!also!very!keen!to!be!sent!details!of!any!problems!any!cyclists!are!having!with!the!tram!tracks,!either!on!the!NET!Phase!Two!hotline,!(0115)!924!2454,!or!via*www.thetram.net/phasetwo.”43!!Love! Your! Bike! would! recommend! that! TfGM! and! Metrolink! evaluate! the! policies! and!procedures!outlined!above!for!the!extended!Greater!Manchester!tram!routes.!!!!!!!!!!!


!

!This! section! discusses! the! design,! construction! and! policy! issues! identified! from! the!research!literature,!survey!data!and!cycle!safety!issues!in!other!cities!with!tram!networks.!

6.1! Greater!Manchester!Cycle!Design!guidance!and!cycling!targets!

In!March!2014,!Transport!for!Greater!Manchester!published!the!Greater!Manchester!Cycle!Design! Guidance.! This! guidance! highlights! five! key! design! criteria! for! successful! and!effective!cycling!infrastructure.!These!are:!!

•! safety,!•! coherence,!!•! directness,!!•! attractiveness!and!!•! comfort!

!The! guidance! also! highlights! that! “it! is! not! acceptable! to! leave! gaps! in! cycle! route!provision.!44!!Furthermore,!the!TfGM!Cycle!Design!Guidance!reports!that:!!

“statistics!reveal!that!the!majority!of!personal!injury!accidents!involving!cyclists!occur!at!or!within!close!proximity!to!junctions.!Data!collated!and!analysed!for!the!Greater!Manchester!region!for!the!period!201052012!indicated!that!88%!of!reported!accidents!with!pedal!cycle!casualties!occur!at!or!within!20m!of!junctions.!This!statistic!reinforces!the!need!to!ensure!full!and!appropriate!provision!for!cyclists!at!junctions.”45!

In!2013,!as!part!of! the!Cycling!City!Ambition!Grant!(CCAG)!–!Velocity!2025!bid,!Greater!Manchester!set!a! target!of! increasing! the!proportion!of! trips!made!by!bike! to!10%!of!all!journeys!over!the!next!12!years.!

“We!aim!to!double,!and!double!again!the!proportion!of!trips!made!by!bicycle,!whether!that’s!commuting,!utility!or!recreational!cycling,!through!an!unprecedented,!long!range!programme!of!investment!in!cycling!infrastructure!for!the!city.”46!

It!will!be!instructive!to!keep!the!Velocity!2025!ambitions!and!the!key!design!criteria!in!mind!when!considering!the!design!and!construction!of!the!new!Metrolink!tram!routes.!!

6! Metrolink!tram!route!designs!and!impacts!on!cycle!safety!


!

!!

6.2! Cycling!and!road!positions!

“Skidding!and!crossing!tracks!is!not!the!only!issue.!On!many!roads!you!are!forced!to!cycle!in!a!small!space!between!parked!cars!and!the!rail!line.!This!prevents!you!from!riding!in!the!primary!position!on!the!road!meaning!you!are!more!exposed!to!dooring,!close!overtaking!and!left5hooks!at!junctions.”!

Since,!the!successful!Local!Sustainable!Transport!Fund!(LSTF)!bid!in!2011,!TfGM’s!Better!by!Cycle! team!have!been!offering! free!adult!cycle! training!sessions! to!people! in!Greater!Manchester.47! Participants! attending! the! cycle! training! sessions! will! receive! tuition! from!cycling!instructors!who!are!qualified!to!deliver!National!Standards!Cycle!training.48!!One! of! the! key! outcomes! that! people! are! taught! is! road! positioning.!When! to! cycle! in!‘secondary’!position!and!when! to!cycle! in! ‘primary’!position!–!often! referred! to!as! ‘taking!the!lane’!as!described!in!a!recent!TfGM!Better!by!Cycle!newsletter:!

Take*control*and*take*the*lane*

There!are!times,!especially!when!approaching!junctions,!when*the*safest*place*to*ride*is*the*centre*of*the*appropriate*traffic*lane.**

Having!checked!to!see!if!it!is!safe!to!do!so!first,!communicate!your!intentions!clearly!before!moving!into!the!centre!of!the!correct!lane.!!

Taking*the*lane*makes*you*more*visible*to*other*road*users,*improves*your*

own*view*and*reduces*the*chance*of*being*unsafely*overtaken,*particularly*at*

points*where*the*carriageway*narrows.”49*

One!inherent!contradiction!between!the!cycle!training!provided!by!TfGM!and!the!design!of!the!on5road!Metrolink! tram! tracks! is! that! in!many! locations! the! layout!of! the! tram! tracks!make!cycling!in!the!‘primary’!position!dangerous!or!impossible!to!achieve.!See!Figures!5!and!6.!!


!

!

!Figure!5:!An!indication!of!‘secondary’!and!!‘primary’!cycling!positions!on!the!carriageway.!

Figure!6:!How!would!you!safely!“take!the!lane”?!

!!Figure! 5! indicates! where! a! person! cycling! in! ‘secondary’! position! would! be! on! the!carriageway!–!typically!1!metre!from!the!kerb!–!and!where!they!would!be!encouraged!to!cycle!during!their!training!when!making!manoeuvres!such!passing!junctions,!‘pinch!points’,!and!left/!right!turns.!‘Primary’!position!is!the!centre!of!the!lane!that!the!person!is!travelling!in.!!Figure!6!is!a!photograph!of!a!junction!and!a!‘pinch!point’!on!Ashton!New!Road!where!the!Metrolink!tram!line,!approximately!1.1!metre!from!the!kerb!means!that!cycling!in!secondary!position!would!mean!cycling!on!the!infill!next! to!the!track!and!would!make!moving!into!a!‘primary’!position!almost!impossible!and!dangerous!to!attempt.!!It!should!also!be!noted!that!the!TfGM!Cycle!Design!Guidance!states!that!1.5!metres!is!the!absolute!minimum!acceptable!width!for!a!cycle!lane.!But!also!notes!that!an:!

“Absolute!minimum!width!of!1.5m!does!not!generally!provide!sufficient!effective!width!for!cyclists!to!overtake!or!to!cycle!side5by5side!within!the!confines!of!the!cycle!track!or!cycle!lane.”50!

The!survey!data!has!identified!a!number!of!serious!crashes!but!these!have!tended!to!have!occurred! at! the! more! limited! number! of! areas! where! tram! tracks! leave/! enter! the!carriageway.!


!

!However,! the! layout! of! the! Metrolink! tram! tracks! on! the! ‘straight’! sections! of! the!carriageways!make!it!harder!for!people!to!cycle!with!increased!safety!!–!as!many!of!them!will! have! been! taught! to! do! by! TfGM! cycle! instructors! –! and! much! less! attractive! or!comfortable.! !Therefore,! the!designs! fail! to!meet! three!of!TfGM’s! five!key!cycle!design!guidance!criteria.!!The!narrow!‘cycle!lane’!between!kerb!and!tramline!or!between!bus!stop!and!tramline!(see!Figure!7)! leaves! little! room! for! road!vehicles!or!Metrolink! trams! to! safely!or! comfortably!pass!a!person!cycling!in!that!space.!!!

!

!

Figure!7:!Where!does!the!cycle!fit! and! how! would! you! take!‘primary!position’?!

Figure! 8:! Video! of! tram! passing! person! cycling! on!Ashton!New!Road!

!Figure!8!is!an!image!taken!from!a!video!posted!on!YouTube!or!a!tram!passing!a!person!cycling!on!Ashton!New!Road.51!Neither!a!pleasant!nor!a!comfortable!experience.!!What!will!this!mean!for!people!cycling!on!Cross!Street,!Princess!Street!or!the!other!cycling!routes!affected!by!the!Metrolink!Second!City!Crossing!tram!network?!

6.3! Safe!alternative!routes!

“I!ignore!the!'safe'!alternative!routes!as!they!are!badly!designed!and!inconvenience!cyclists!by!making!them!have!to!make!what!amounts!to!a!long!detour.!Also!the!traffic!light!filters!on!new!crossings!on!airport!line!do!not!detect!bikes.!“!


!

Love!Your!Bike!believes!that!cycling!provision!that!is!not!easy!and!convenient!to!use!and!is!not!intuitive!to!understand!will!not!be!used!by!many!of!the!people!who!choose!to!cycle!and!therefore!does!not!provide!a!“safe!alternative”.!!!The!three!examples!are!indicative!of!the!inadequacy!of!the!safe!alternative!route!provision!on!the!new!Metrolink!tram!routes.!We!could!have!included!many!more!examples.!!!

6.3.1* Southmoor*Road*/*Altrincham*Road*junction*

!The!photographs! in!Figures!9512!show!the!on5road!provision! for!people!wishing! to!cycle!across!the!Southmoor!Road!/!Altrincham!Road!junction.!!Anyone!wishing! to!cycle! from!Southmoor!Road!across!Altrincham!Road! (from!bottom!of!diagram!to!top)!will!be!sandwiched!between!a!left! turning!lane!with!only!1.2!metres!from!the!white!line!separating!the!traffic!lane!and!the!first!tram!line.!!

!

!Figure!9:!Southmoor!Road!(Northbound)!1.2!metres!between!tram!line!and!white!carriageway!line!

Figure!10:!Traffic!would!be!passing!on!both!sides!and!at!speed!

!Once!across!the!traffic!light!junction!you!will!then!need!to!cross!at!a!shallow!angle!the!tram!lines!as!they!go!off!to!the!left!and!the!traffic!lanes!veer!to!the!right.!!!


!

!

!

Figure!11:!Build!out!forces!people!cycling!to!merge!with!traffic!bounded!by!tram!line!

Figure! 12:! Southmoor!Road! –!Southbound!traffic!

!Anyone!attempting!to!cycle!the!other!direction!from!Moor!Road!the!pavement!buildout!at!the! top!of!Southmoor!Road!will! force!you! (and!all! the!other! traffic)!out! towards! the! tram!lines.!!

! !

Figure!13:!A!‘safe!alternative’?! Figure!14:!Interim!Safety!Audit!


!

!The!green!line!in!Figure!13!shows!the!so5called!‘safe!alternative’!route!that!people!wishing!to!cycle!from!Southmoor!Road!to!Moor!Road!(or!the!other!way)!are!supposed!to!take.!This!route!requires!people!cycling!to!cross!7!toucan!island!crossings.!At!approximately!8.15am!on!a!weekday!morning!it!took!5!minutes!and!20!seconds!to!cycle!along!this!route!–!from!Southmoor!Road! (bottom!of!diagram! to! top)! to!Moor!Road,! the!other!side!of!Altrincham!Road.!In!addition,!two!of!the!toucan!islands!are!not!wide!enough!to!safely!accommodate!a!bicycle!and!child!trailer/buggy.!!Love!Your!Bike! does! not! consider! this! to! be! an! adequate! design! for! a! ‘safe! alternative!route’.!!On!13th!July,!there!was!a!report!on!Twitter!(Figure!15)!of!a!person!crashing!whilst!cycling!over!the!tram!lines!on!Southmoor!Road.!A!request!for!additional!details!identified!that!the!person!cycling!was!on!Southmoor!Road!attempting!to!manoeuvre!from!the!left!hand!lane!to! the! right! filter! lane! to! turn! onto!Altrincham!Road.!As! they! crossed! the! tramlines! their!wheels!slipped!and!they!came!off.!Fortunately!the!traffic!was!moving!at!low!speed!and!the!car!following!was!able!to!stop!before!it!hit!them.!!

!Figure!15:!Twitter!report!of!cycle!crash!on!tramlines!at!Southmoor!Road!!!Thankfully! on! this! occasion,! the! person! appeared! not! to! be! seriously! injured.! The! next!person!may!not!be!so!lucky.!!Love! Your! Bike! is! concerned! at! the! slow! progress! of! resolving! the! issues! that! we!highlighted!in!December!2014,!many!of!which!had!already!been!documented!in!the!Interim!Safety!Audit!(dated!September!2014).!A!copy!of!the!Safety!Audit!document!is!available!via!Dropbox.52!!


!

6.3.2* Ashton*New*Road*

!The!photographs!in!Figure!16!show!the!Metrolink–safe!alternative!route!provision!near!the!Wheelchair!Centre!Ltd,!229!Droylsden!Rd,!Audenshaw.!This! is!an!example!of!a!hazard!introduced!where! the! tram! tracks! leave! the! carriageway! and! the! ‘safe! alternative! route’!provided!requires!people,!with!little!notification,!to!cycle!on!the!pavement.!!!In!March!2015,!three!people!crashed!off!their!road!bikes!at!this!exact!location.!Two!people!required! treatment!at!Accident!&!Emergency!5!one!person!suffered!a!broken!collar!bone!and!a!badly!bruised! leg!and!another!person!needed!stitches! to!his! knee!amongst!other!injuries.! ! This! incident! was! not! reported! via! the! survey! –! but! via! a! Local! Authority!colleague.!!Love!Your!Bike!estimates! that!at! the!speed! the!people!were! likely! to!be!cycling!on! their!road! bikes,! the! small! white! painted! arrow! on! the! road! probably! gave! them! less! than! 1!second! to!decide!whether! to!brake!hard!and!swing!up!on! the!pavement! (an!unexpected!manoeuvre!to!them!as!road!riders)!or!carry!on!across!the!tram!tracks!–!possibly!with!traffic!behind!them.!!!!!!!They!chose!to!carry!on!and!all! three!crashed!off!their!bikes.!Two!with!serious!injuries!as!outlined!above.!Is!this!design!coherent,*safe*or*comfortable?!!It!is!also!important!to!note!that!Department!for!Transport!guidance!states!very!clearly!that:!

!“Ride!at!a!sensible!speed!for!the!situation!and!ensure!you!can!stop!in!time.!As*a*general*rule,*if*you*want*to*cycle*quickly,*say*in*excess*of*18*mph/30*kph,*then*

you*should*be*riding*on*the*road.”53![Emphasis!added]!

People!cycling!on!road!bikes!are!typically!travelling!at!speeds!faster!than!18mph.!Even!if!they!could!make!the!sudden!braking!and!sharp!left!turn,!they!travel!at!speeds!that!are!not!suitable!–!as!recognised!by!Department!for!Transport!guidance!–!for!cycling!on!pavements!or!space!shared!with!pedestrians.!!!Responses!from!Metrolink!that!people!should!be!cycling!on!the!pavement!or! the! ‘shared!space’!ignores!the!fact!that!many!people!are!cycling!at!speeds!above!18mph!and!should!be!cycling!on!the!road.!!


!

! ! !

Figure!16:!229!Ashton!New!Road!–!note!the!white!arrow!on!the!carriageway!and!the!acute!angle!at!which!that!anyone!continuing!to!cycle!on!the!road!would!cross!the!tram!tracks.!!!The!people!involved!did!not!report!these!injuries!to!TfGM!/!Metrolinkm!another!two!serious!injuries! unreported! and! ‘invisible’! in! the! Greater! Manchester! Killed! or! Seriously! Injured!(KSI)!data.!This!issue!is!discussed!further!in!Sections!2.2!and!7.!

6.3.3* Every*Street*

“Approaching!the!Eastbound!junction!of!Pollard!St!and!Merrill!street!I!attempted!to!cross!the!tram!tracks.!With!fast!moving!traffic!nearby!my!rear!wheel!got!caught!in!the!tracks!knocking!me!off!balance.!My!feet!came!off!my!pedals!and!I!narrowly!avoiding!falling!in!front!of!an!approaching!Hackney!cab!that!gladly!broke!in!time!to!avoid!hitting!me.!I!stopped!cycling!for!a!number!of!weeks!following!and!now!take!a!far!longer!route!when!commuting!to!Ashton!Under!Lyne.”!

Figures!17!and!18!show!photographs!of!the!Every!Street,!Merrill!Street!and!Ashton!New!Road! junction.! Anyone! cycling! from! Every! Street! towards! the! Etihad! stadium! will! have!cars,!buses!and!heavy!goods!vehicles!attempting!to!pass!them,!whilst!cycling!across!the!curving!tram!tracks.!!


!

!

!Figure! 17:! Every! Street! /! Merrill! Street!junction!

Figure!18:!Cycles!need!to!cross!curved!tram!tracks!with!traffic!behind!

!We!recognise!that!where!a!tram!route!curves!the!footprint!of!the!tramway!must!be!greater!to!allow!clearances!for!passing!trams!and!for!the!outside!overhang.!However,!many!of!the!design! issues!appear!to!be!due!to!the!associated!road!layout!and!the!failure!to! increase!the!overall! footprint!of!schemes! (especially!at! junctions)! to!allow!space! for!quality!cycle/!pedestrian!options.!!As!mentioned!at! the!start!of! this! section,!Love!Your!Bike!believes! that! cycling!provision!that!is!not!easy!and!convenient!to!use!and!is!not!intuitive!to!understand!will!not!be!used!by!many!people!who!choose!to!cycle.!

!!


!

*

In! October! 2014,! a! jury! was! critical! of! Metrolink's! communications! systems! and! CCTV!monitoring! following! an! inquest! into! the! death! of! an! 85! year! old! woman.! An! unnamed!Metrolink!spokesperson!stated:!

“As!with!any!serious!incident,!it!is!good!practice!to!go!back!and!review!what!we!have!in!place!and!as!a!result!of!this!case!we!felt!it!necessary!to!update!our!practices!above!and!beyond!industry!standard!and!we!now!have!a!formal!written!procedure!in!place.”!54!!

Love!Your!Bike!believes!that!the!concerns!raised!by!the!coroner!in!the!Croydon!inquest!as!detailed!in!Section!5.1!are!similar!to!the!issues!highlighted!by!the!incidents!reported!in!the!survey.!We!have!repeated!the!coroner’s!concerns:!!

(1)!Tramlines!present!a!significant!danger!for!cyclists,!either!by!being!caught!in!the!lines!or!slipping!on!the!metal,!particularly!in!the!wet.!!(2)!The!design!and!appearance!of! the!bicycle! lane!at! the! junction!of!Addiscombe!Road! and! Cherry! Orchard! Road! may! cause! confusion! for! cyclists! who! are!apparently!required!to!go!onto!the!pavement!before!the!junction!in!order!to!cross!it!safely.!The!cycle!path!continues!into!the!junction!so!that!cyclists!turning!left!will!be!forced!to!parallel!with!the!lines,!rather!than!crossing!at!90!degrees,!which!is!safer.!!(3)! For! cyclists!who! do! go! onto! the! pavement,! the! intended! route! goes! over! two!tactile!paving!areas!and!involves!contact!with!pedestrians!crossing!at!the!junction.!!(4)!The!signage!at! the! junction! is!confusing!and!appears! to!suggest! that! the! tram!route!is!a!cycle!route,!yet!the!lines!are!frequently!close!to!pavement!at!the!junction!and!at!other!areas!further!along!Addiscombe!Road.!

*

Replace* the* road* names* with* some* of* those* highlighted* via* our* survey* and* the*

same*concerns*and*issues*apply.*

*

Love! Your! Bike! believes! that! the! findings! from! our! survey,! the! research! literature! and!examples! from! other! cities! highlight! the! need! for! Transport! for! Greater! Manchester,!Metrolink!and!the!Greater!Manchester!Combined!Authorities!to:!!

•! Accept! there! are! cycle! safety! design! issues! associated! with! the! Metrolink! tram!network! routes.! It! is! commonplace! for! individuals! to! often! 'blame'! themselves! but!the! institutional! response! appears! to! be! 'it's! your! fault! for! not! using! the! ‘safe!alternative'.!!!!

7! Next!steps!and!recommendations!


!

!•! Undertake! a! junction! by! junction! safety! review! to! assess! the! design! impacts! on!cycle! safety! and! identify! measures! to! improve! the! existing! tram! routes! for! safer!cycling.!We!should!not!need!to!wait!for!a!fatality!before!conducting!such!a!review.!

!•! Ensure!that!any!'safe!alternative'!routes!are!both!convenient!to!use!and!meet!all!of!the!TfGM!cycle!guidance!design!criteria.!

!•! To!locate!Greater!Manchester!NHS!data!for!bicycle!crash!injuries.!!

•! To! co5operate! with! other! agencies,! such! as! GM! Police,! hospital! trusts! and! local!councils! to! establish! an! effective! incident! reporting! and! mapping! system! that!encourages!people!to!report!and!identify!areas!of!concern.!!

!•! Include!the!cycling!community! /!organisations! in! the!design!process!from!an!early!stage!of!any!future!schemes!(eg!Trafford!Park)!

!•! Develop! better! educational! campaigns! and! training! resources! such! as! the!Nottingham! NET! cycle5tram! safety! video! and! training! course! and! clearer,! more!intuitive!signage.!

!!!Love!Your!Bike!!September!2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


!

!!Appendices!!Appendix*1:*Which*of*the*following*best*describes*what*happened?*(experienced*incidents)*

Other*

A!car!stopped!next!to!the!track,!I!was!trapped!and!had!to!hop!over!the!near!side!track!as!they!stopped!abruptly!I!had!to!Sto!quickly!in!the!middle!of!the!road!back!wheel!skidded!when!crossing!the!track!obliquely!bicycle!wheel!caught! in! the! track!crossing!Ashton!new!road!affecting!control!but! i!stayed!upright!Broke!rear!mech!trying!to!mount!raised!kerb!to!avoid!bullying!team!to!rear!Forced!off!the!road!by!a!tram!coming!up!behind!me!Front!wheel!caught!in!the!tracks!causing!me!to!come!off!I!skidded!on!the!newly!painted!white!lines!very!close!to!the!tram!line.!Painted!approx!two!weeks!earlier.!These!lines!are!painted!far!too!thickly.!I!tried!to!put!myself!in!a!safe!position!in!relation!to!tram!tracks!and!got!verbal!abuse!from!a!motorisr!It!is!just!difficult!to!negotiate!as!the!road!is!narrow,!uneven!due!to!the!tracks!and!the!traffic!is!busy.!!I!have!to!slow!down!due!to!the!tracks,!bue!due!to!the!narrowness!of!teh!road,!feel!in!danger!of!being!hit!by!traffic!!My!bicycle!wheels!were!caught!in!the!tram!track!and!i!slipped!off!along!the!ground.!It!was!also!wet.!My!bike!wheel!got!caught!in!the!tram!track!as!I!crossed!the!tracks!and!I!fell!of!damaging!my!handlebars!and!injuring!my!palms!as!I!broke!my!fall.!saw!another!cyclist!fall!The!track!was!wet!and!i!went!flying.!!Tram!Hooting!at!me,when!not!expected!Vision!blocked!by!advertising!so!couldn't!see!tram!coming!until!too!late.!Whilst!having! to! travel!at!approx! right!angles! to! the! traffic! to!cross! the! tram!tracks!safely!near! the!snipe!business!park!on!several!occasions! I!had!extremely!near!misses!with! the!following!traffic.!!!!Appendix*2:*Mentions*of*broken*bones*from*witnesses*or*experienced*by*cyclists.*

“Cycling!a!few!yards!behind!friend!in!wet!when!he!missed!the!(small)!signs!on!the!pavement!indicating!a!left!fork!for!cyclists!to!take!them!across!the!lines!at!right!angles.!Staying!on!the!road,!he!slipped!on!the! lines!and!went!down!heavily!(I! followed! immediately!afterwards.!A!witness!took!him!to!hospital!and!I! followed!on.!He!had!broken*his*collar*bone!which!still!hasn't!repaired.”!“Approximately!in!January.!!I!was!on!a!bus!travelling!the!other!way!so!was!unable!to!assist,!I!saw!a!road!bike!cyclist!go!down!hard,!a!car!driver!stopped!to!help,!the!cyclist!appeared!in!discomfort:!sat!down,!cradling!elbow,!arm!across!chest!(collar*bone*break*style)!while!the!driver! recovered! their! bike! from! the!middle! of! the! road.! The! cyclist!was! heading! towards!Ashton!at! the!Merrell!St/Ashton!New!Road! junction!where! the! tram! tracks! cut! across! the!


!

Appendix*2:*Mentions*of*broken*bones*from*witnesses*or*experienced*by*cyclists.*

road!to!access!Holt!Town!metro!stop.”!!“My!opinion!is!that!the!tracks!are!very!dangerous!for!cyclists.!!I!would!like!to!pursue!a!claim!with!the!relevant!authorities!whoever!that!may!be!but!was!more!or!less!talked!out!of!it!by!a!solicitors!company,!I!think!maybe!they!had!bigger!fish!to!fry!at!the!time!!!Any!help!you!could!offer! to!point!me! in! the!right!direction!would!be!very!much!appreciated.* * I*broke*5*bones*and*had*to*have*surgery*on*my*shoulder!so!it!was!a!very!serious!incident!”!“I'm!completing!this!survey!because!a!friend!of!mine!had!a!nasty!fall!when!his!front!wheel!went! into! a! tram! track! in! central! Manchester! in! 2011.! ! He! was! in! his! sixties! and! cycled!everywhere!at!the!time.!!He!spent!weeks!in!hospital!recovering!from!a!broken*leg,*arm*and*collar*bone!5!he!couldn't!even!use!crutches!so!was!confined!to!a!wheelchair!for!some!time.!!It!put!him!right!off!cycling.”!!!“The!weather!conditions!wet!5!it!had!been!raining!but!had!stopped!5!a!man!on!a!bike!skidded!when! crossing! the! tram! lines! and! tumbled! off.! ! He! was! quite! badly! injured! 5! possible*broken*nose!and!his!bike!was!damaged.”!broken*upper*humerus.!Two!to!three!months!recovery!period.!Will!be!off!work!most!of!that!time,!she!is!a!primary!school!nursery!teacher.!“I!Crashed!off!my!bike!and!so!did!my!wife!on!hers!!she!was! following!me!down! the! road.!She!was!taken!to!hospital!with!a!broken*arm!”!“Broken*shoulder!when!front!wheel!got!caught!in!tram!line.”!Witnessed!a!number!of!accidents!at! this!same! location.!Also! the!Landlord!of! the!pub!The!Junction!has!witness!well! into!double!figures.!Wheels!caught! in!the!tram!lines!sending!the!cyclist!into!the!curb.!This!have!ranged!from!bruises,!broken*arms,!broken*nose.!“I!know!a!colleague!at!work!who!was!thrown!off!his!bike!by!the!tracks!at!the!tram!crossing!on!the!approach!to!Salford!Quays.!He!suffered*a*broken*shoulder!and!was!off!work!for!a!couple!of!months.”!!Appendix*3:*Reports*of*what*happened*(witnessed*incidents)*

I!cyclist!rode!into!the!tracks!and!fell!off.!I!helped!them!up.!!Young!boy!fell!off!cycle!after!getting!stuck!in!tracks.!Cyclists!looked!to!have!got!caught!in!the!tracks!had!blood!from!head.!!I!stopped!in!my!car,!however!they!didn't!want!help!Witnessed!a!number!of!accidents!at!this!same!location.!Also!the!Landlord!of!the!pub!The!Junction!has!witness!well!into!double!figures.!Wheels!caught!in!the!tram!lines!sending!the!cyclist!into!the!curb.!This!have!ranged!from!bruises,!broken*arms,!broken*nose.!!Cycling! a! few! yards! behind! friend! in! wet! when! he! missed! the! (small)! signs! on! the!pavement! indicating!a! left! fork! for! cyclists! to! take! them!across! the! lines!at! right!angles.!Staying!on!the!road,!he!slipped!on!the!lines!and!went!down!heavily!(I!followed!immediately!afterwards.!A!witness! took!him! to!hospital!and! I! followed!on.!He!had!broken*his*collar*bone!which!still!hasn't!repaired.!saw!another!cyclist!fall!after!going!over!the!tram!track!coming!home!from!manchester!(not!100%!sure!where!it!was)!it!was!dark!and!wet!and!as!to!make!progress!the!three!of!us!took!to!the!road!as!cycle!paths!can!be!worrisome,!slippy!and!under5lit! in!places,!and!we!where!cycling!up!a!road!and!the!person!at! the!back!had!


!

Appendix*3:*Reports*of*what*happened*(witnessed*incidents)*

slim!tyres!on!his!bike!and!he!went!straight!into!the!tram!tracks!and!fell!shoulder!first!into!a!puddle!where!he!bruised!his!arm!and!scratched!his!bike!slightly,!all!close!infront!of!a!bus.!it!shook!us!all!to!say!the!least!!I!was!leading!a!group!of!cyclists,!we!had!to!cross!the!lines!resulting!in!a!fall!My!friend!Jon!tried!to!cross!the!tram!tracks!on!Weaste!road!but!fell!off!on!wet!tram!tracks.!He!hurt!his!wrist!badly.!!My!friend!was!crossing!St!Peter's!sq,!he!sskidded!on!the!tracks!and!fell!off!The! weather! conditions! wet! 5! it! had! been! raining! but! had! stopped! 5! a! man! on! a! bike!skidded! when! crossing! the! tram! lines! and! tumbled! off.! ! He! was! quite! badly! injured! –!possible!broken!nose!and!his!bike!was!damaged!My!boyfriend!was!cycling!ahead!of!me!and!got!his!bike!wheels!stuck!in!the!tram!lines!and!therefore!fell!off!his!bike.!He!received!cuts!and!bruises!from!the!injury!but!luckily!was!near!other!cyclists!and!no!cars!or!trams!were!involved!Rider! in! front! skidded! and! fell! on! tracks.!Narrowly!missed! by! cars.! I! checked! that! they!were!OK!to!get!up!and!continue.!My!cycling!buddy!fell!off!his!bike!as!his!wheels!were!caught!in!the!track.!!It!was!because!road!works!pushed!all!traffic!incliding!bikes!close!to!the!track.!!Roadworks!now!gone.!a!cyclist's!wheel!being!caught!in!the!tracks!and!throwing!them!from!her!bike!approx!date!in!January.!!I!was!on!a!bus!travelling!the!other!way!so!was!unable!to!assist,!I!saw!a!road!bike!cyclist!go!down!hard,!a!car!driver!stopped!to!help,!the!cyclist!appeared!in!discomfort:!sat!down,!cradling!elbow,!arm!across!chest!(collar!bone!break!style)!while!the!driver!recovered!their!bike!from!the!middle!of! the!road.!The!cyclist!was!heading!towards!Ashton!at!the!Merrell!St/Ashton!New!Road!junction!where!the!tram!tracks!cut!across!the!road!to!access!Holt!Town!metro!stop!this! road! is!badly!drained...! there! is!always!a! layer!of!mud!on! the!surface!and! the! tram!tracks.! I! saw! a! cyclist! (on! a! road! bike)! cycling! across! the! tramline! and! skidded! on! the!tracks!!Just!like!that!!!!!A! person! riding! a! bike! near! the! current! Metrolink! works! on! Corporation! Street,!Manchester,!broke!hard!and!took!evasive!action!as!the!reached!the!new!Metrolink!tracks,!forcing!a!car! immediately!behind! them! to!break!hard!also,!narrowly!avoiding!a!collision.!The! cyclist! continued! their! journey! all! vehicles! behind! them!had! passed! and! they!were!safe! to! take!a!more!wider!angle!over! the! tracks.! I!did!not! report! the! incident!although! it!shook!me!up!as!a!witness.!Cyclist!trapped!front!wheel!in!tram!track!and!fell!off!I!Crashed!off!my!bike!and!so!did!my!wife!on!hers!!she!was!following!me!down!the!road.!She!was!taken!to!hospital!with!a!broken!arm!!!Cyclist!heading!south!on!A6!moved!to!cross!the!tram!lines,!wheel!dropped!in!to!the!track!and!they!came!off!the!bike.!I!stopped!to!check!they!were!OK,!which!they!stated!they!were,!before!we!both!continued!our!journeys!Cycling!into!manchester!from!ashton.!Tracks!cross!the!road!lane,!you!have!to!cross!them!to!stay!in!position!but!th!e!angle!is!awful!(ie!you!can't!cross!anything!like!perpendicular!to!the!track).!I!can!bunny!hop!and!always!tend!to!here!unless!its!really!wet/icy!but!the!person!I!was!riding!with!came!off!5!with!cars!coming!behind!very!scary!Cyclist!turned!right!from!Princess!St!onto!Mosley!St!and!was!caught!in!tram!tracks.!


!

Appendix*3:*Reports*of*what*happened*(witnessed*incidents)*

Rider's!wheels!went! into! rail! groove.! !Unable! to!balance,! the!bicyle!and! rider! fell! to! the!side.!Stopped!and!checked!if!rider!was!ok,!tried!to!calm!him!down.!Generally!greasy! floor,!with!anchoring! the!brakes.!Back!wheel! came!out,! front!wheel! in!track.!Skid!to!stop.!Got!up,!dusted!herself!down!and!we!continued!home.!Not!totally!sure!of!the!date!but!some!idiot!on!a!bike!sailed!through!the!reds!an!almost!got!hit!by!a!tram.!!Clearly!as!a!good!cyclists!i!was!stopped!at!the!red!light!!the!front!bike!wheel!entered!the!groove!for!the!tram!track!and!made!the!cyclist!fall!off!his!bike!Colleague!trapped!wheel!in!tram!tracks,!flew!off!and!fractured!arm.!Two!cyclists!went!down!crossing!the!tracks!in!wet!weather!due!to!slipping!on!them!!Cyclist!crossing!tracks!in!traffic!to!get!to!Cooperative!entrance,!crosses!at!narrow!angle!to!tracks!and!front!wheel!falls!into!track!and!rider!falls.!No!injury.!A!girl!was!cycling!down!the!road,!and!as!she!crossed!the!team!line!her!front!bike!wheel!stuck! down! in! the! track! and! she!was! thrown! off! her! bike! at! speed.! She! destroyed! her!helmet,!and!her!shoulder!and!hip!were!bruised!and!bleeding.!Travelling!up!to!Ashton!Under!Lyne!on!the!tram!I!noticed!several!cyclists!stopping!on!the!road!due!to!how!close!the!tram!lines!were!to!the!line!they!were!cycling.!As!a!cyclist!myself!I!noticed!this!and!felt!that!the!road!design!had!become!very!hazardous!and!unfriendly!for!cyclists.!It!would!be!very!easy!to!find!ones!wheel!falling!into!the!tram!tracks!which!would!result! in!an!accident.!This!will!surely!deter!people!from!cycling!in!areas!where!the!trams!operate.!My!son!misjudged!the!angle!he!could!cross!the!track!and!lost!control!of!his!bike.!Cyclist! fallen!off! going! south! through!St!Peter's!Square!area.!Not! certain! if! intending! to!cross!rails.!Looked!more!like!intended!to!cycle!through!stop!and!took!too!narrow!angle!in!track!crossing.!Was!dusting!self!down.!No!sign!of!serious!injury.!Lycra!cyclist.!Didn't!see!whether!ped!movement!had! influenced!cyclists! line.! It!was! right!by!designated!crossing!point!at!Princess!Road!end!of!stop.!The!wheel!got!stuck!in!the!rail!Cyclist!wheels!caught!in!the!tracks!and!the!cyclist!came!off!his!bike.!approx!date,!me! in!car!driving! towards!Ashton!on!Ashton!New!Road!(again).!Road!bike!rider! cycling! on! opposite! side! of! the! road! immediately! outside! Jolly! Carter! pub! near!Droylsden/Clayton!seemed!to!just!drift!across!the!road!slightly!and!caught! in!the!straight!flowing! tram! track,!went! down! ! but! rolled! and!was! up! immediately! and! back! onto! bike.!happened!quickly!and!they!were!away!again!Cyclist! slips! on! tracks!whilst! trying! to! turn! from!Nell! Lane! to!Mauldeth!Road!West! (SW!Bound).! Queuing! traffic! and! poor! car! positioning!meant! they! had! to! cross! tracks! at! an!angle.! Dangerous! junction! for! turns! because! of! tracks,! with! cars! coming! from! two!directions.!Was!riding!with!cyclist!when!her!wheels!becomes!trapped!in!the!rail!groove!and!she!fell!over.!!Checked!she!was!ok,!no!injuries.!!!


!

!Appendix*4:*Would*you*like*to*provide*any*other*comments?*

5!Filler!solution!that!worked!sustainably!would!be!welcome!!5!Some!shocking!designs!on!airport!route!considering!experience!from!Eccles!and!Ashton!before!this!was!rolled!out!5!Think!there!was/is!very!good!case!for!discouraging!cycling!along!Cross!Street!2CC!by!providing!strong!and!direct!alternatives!5!Some!concern!that!attempts!to!cycle!proof!will!encourage!use!of!that!route!instead!of!such!alternatives!5!Would!like!to!see!radical!rethink!of!Southmoor!junction!in!particular!creating!strong!Moor5Southmoor!line!for!bikes!!SIGNAGE!FOR!ALTERNATIVE!ROUTES,AND/OR!PROVISION!OF!THEM!AT!SOME!JUNCTIONS!IS!ABYSMAL!EG!AUDENSHAW/ASHTON!TRAMSTOP!NEAR!SNIPE!RETAIL!PARK!Accident!was!in!St!Peter's!Square!5!I!am!responding!on!a!Kindle!with!no!right!click!ability!to!use!your!map!indicator!earlier!in!the!questionnaire!All!cyclists!are!lying!w.....s!All!tracks!are!extremely!dangerous!in!wet!weather.!There!is!no!provision!for!cyclists!and!no!signs!to!highlight!the!potential!danger!of!falling!off!your!bike.!although!I!didn't!complain!to!metrolink!amazingly!soon!after!my!accident,!cyclist!dismount!signs!were!displayed!around!where!I!had!my!accident.!I!contacted!a!solicitor!about!the!accident!where!I!fractured!my!thumb!and!was!in!plaster!for!around!10!weeks!but!they!didn't!seem!interested!is!persuing!my!case!Always!cross!them!at!their!shortest!distance,!and!we!will!all!be!safe.!Approaching!the!Eastbound!junction!of!Pollard!St!and!Merrill!street!I!attempted!to!cross!the!tram!tracks.!With!fast!moving!traffic!nearby!my!rear!wheel!got!caught!in!the!tracks!knocking!me!off!balance.!My!feet!came!off!my!pedals!and!I!narrowly!avoiding!falling!in!front!of!an!approaching!Hackney!cab!that!gladly!broke!in!time!to!avoid!hitting!me.!I!stopped!cycling!for!a!number!of!weeks!following!and!now!take!a!far!longer!route!when!commuting!to!Ashton!Under!Lyne.!As!a!newbie!Biker,!I!was!concentrating!on!the!road!and!making!sure!cars!werent!behind!me.!I!needed!to!turn!right!from!Eccles!New!Road!towards!MediaCity!and!I!have!to!go!over!the!tramlines.!It!was!a!wet!day!and!as!the!tram!lines!are!not!highlighted!I!thought!it!was!part!of!the!road,!and!I!didnt!realise!you!had!to!go!over!the!tram!lines!at!a!certain!angle!in!order!to!avoid!wheels!going!down!the!lines.!I!think!there!should!be!information!for!cyclists!on!how!to!cross!the!lines!safely,!and!I!believe!the!tram!lines!should!be!a!different!colour!from!the!road!to!make!them!more!visible!to!cyclists.!I!am!still!really!affected!by!this!and!I!will!not!cycle!over!the!tramlines,!which!means!I!cannot!cycle!to!work!as!I!would!have!to!cross!the!tramlines!to!get!to!MediaCity!from!my!house.!!As!long!as!the!tracks!are!at!enough!of!an!angle!to!the!direction!of!travel!they!are!fine.!The!main!problem!I!have!found!is!that!the!tarmac!between!and!around!the!tracks!deteriorates!quickly!so!there!are!dangerous!potholes!as!well!as!the!tracks.!Something!similar!to!railways!crossings!where!the!space!between!the!tracks!is!a!large!rubber!section!might!be!better.!Ashton!New!Road!design!is!dangerous,!particularly!where!riders!are!forced!into!the!door!


!

Appendix*4:*Would*you*like*to*provide*any*other*comments?*

zone!of!parking!bays.!Other!junctions!egAltrincham!Road/Southmoor!and!Brownley/Hollyhedge!have!poorly!integrated!the!cycling!requirements.!Ashton!New!Road!is!the!epitome!for!me!of!how!not!to!do!it,!the!enforced!close!proximity!of!motor!vehicles,cycles/lanes!&!trams!leaves!nowhere!at!all!for!bikes!to!be!safe!the!cycle!lane!is!the!width!of!a!car!door!and!is!absolutely!in!the!door!zone,!a!hit!that!way!and!you!fall!into!flowing!traffic!or!under!a!tram,!deflect!around!it!and!you!are!in!direct!danger!of!catching!the!wheel!in!the!tram!tracks!and!being!off,!the!fact!they!veer!across!the!whole!carriageway!as!the!tram!route!goes!on!/!off!/!on!road!is!awful,!!the!bike!lanes!around!the!back!off!road!stops!are!barely!signposted!the!entry/exit!points!ofter!parked!by!cars!to!obscure!or!lose!them!completely,!!my!incident!was!because!I!simply!had!no!idea!there!was!a!bike!detour!round!the!back!of!the!stop.!it!is!a!route!did!often!use!between!workm!Claytonm!and!Homem!Oldhamm!or!starting!a!post!work!jaunt!out!into!the!hills!over!Tameside!and!Oldham!but!I!simply!cannot!use!it!anymore!because!of!the!track!layout!&!carriageway!redesigning!to!accommodate!it!which!IMO!is!inherently!dangerous!to!cycling.!I!am!very!careful!cycling!in!Manchester!city!centre!too!where!the!tracks!are!on!road!around!Shudehill,!Piccadilly,!top!of!Oxford!Road!etc,!crossing!them!if!at!all!at!street!right!angles,!very!carefully!and!expecting!the!worst.!I!do!make!detours!now!to!avoid!these!areas!when!I!can!but!they!are!an!infrequent!route!compared!to!north!side!&!Aston!New!Road.!!Bikes!and!tram!tracks!don't!mix.!Why!are!there!so!many!Manchester!bike!routes!that!send!you!down!the!tram!tracks?!For!a!cyclist,!getting!across!Manchester!is!a!very!scary!experience,!either!risk!the!narrow,!poorly!maintained!roads,!or!the!tram!tracks.!Broken!shoulder!when!front!wheel!got!caught!in!tram!line.!Can!we!also!campaign!to!remove!the!barriers!5!such!as!those!at!St!Werburgh's!Road!5!which!prevent!disabled!cyclists!from!using!cycle!paths?!Cars!parked!on!Manchester!Road.!If!you!give!them!the!right!distance!to!avoid!a!car!door!being!opened!into!you!..!You!are!in!the!tramline.The!lady!who!came!out!from!the!house!said!there!were!six!a!week!!obviously!no!one!is!reporting.!Cycle!routes!in!general!need!standardizing!and!improving!Cycling!close!to!the!tracks!is!nerve!wracking.!Turning!across!tracks!is!incredibly!stressful.!The!incident!referred!to!in!this!survey!was!a!broken!shoulder!suffered!when!the!tracks!had!first!been!laid.!During!this!incident!I!was!cycling!on!the!road!safely,!when!a!pedestrian!stepped!off!the!pavement,!in!order!to!over!take!crowd!of!people!I!front!of!them.!This!caused!me!to!have!to!swerve!suddenly,!landing!in!the!tram!tracks!and!buckling!my!wheels,!aswell!as!grazing!my!knee.!I!have!had!other!incidents,!however!those!where!my!fault.!I!feel!this!incident!is!Important,!and!needs!looking!into.!Had!a!tram!been!coming!it!could!of!been!a!lot!more!serious.!Especially!at!some!junctions!and!places!like!the!road!to!Ashton,!to!get!over!tracks!on!my!road!bike!safely!I!have!to!swerve!to!the!centre!line!of!the!road!so!I!can!go!the!shortest!route!over,!placing!myself!in!danger!of!the!cars!behind!me!even!in!a!car!on!rainy!days!you!can!feel!the!wheels!slide!on!the!tracks!how!are!cyclists!meant!to!deal!with!this!given!a!heavy!car!moves!from!side!to!side!on!the!tracks!getting!across!Rochdale!is!chaos.!Drake!St!now!a!tram!track.!signing!doesn't!make!sense!or!is!absent.!in!some!places!cyclists!are!pushed!onto!the!pavement!5!not!suitable!


!


for!a!town!centre!Getting!caught!in!tram!tracks!and!falling!off!is!one!problem!5!minor!cuts/bruises!and!damage!to!bike/clothes.!!Far!more!dangerous!is!the!situation!that!you!then!find!yourself!in!5!on!the!ground!with!potential!for!motorists!or!tram!to!run!you!over.!Have!cycled!in!Baguley!where!big!yellow!signs!warn!of!the!danger.!Had!these!been!shown!as!prominently!at!Ashton,!the!above!incidents!wouldn't!have!happened.!Having!to!line!up!your!bike!at!a!great!enough!angle!and!bunny!hop!is!not!a!safe!option!there!should!be!some!sort!of!infill!but!in!the!track!so!I!can!ride!over!them!Hmm,!this!survey!appears!to!have!missed!a!whole!bunch!of!questions.!Anyway!5!no,!not!really!5!there's!tracks!in!the!road!in!Trafford!Park!that!strike!me!as!being!more!dangerous!than!the!tram!tracks!I!encounterm!just!take!care!and!make!sure!you!cross!at!right!angles!and!you'll!be!fine.!I!know!the!rail!surface!can!be!slippery,!but!I've!never!had!a!problemm!then!again,!I'm!a!fair5weather!cyclist!(recreational)!so!don't!go!out!in!the!stormy!wet!weather!etc!!How!on!earth!is!it!acceptable!to!put!recessed!tram!lines!across!a!cycle!path?!Some!poor!cyclist!will!get!killed!eventually.!I!agree!with!what!has!been!said!Southmoor!Road!Metro!tracks.!I!find!this!layout!extremely!confusing!and!feel!very!unsafe!cycling.!!I!am!used!to!cycling!and!prior!to!the!metro!being!built!I!used!to!feel!reasonable!happy!cycling!from!Northenden!to!Tesco!at!Baguley!and!Matalan!to!shop.!Now,!if!i!want!to!cycle!to!Tesco's!I!tend!to!cycle!through!Wythenshawe!Park!omitting!the!metro.!!However,!sometimes!I!feel!a!bit!insecure!in!the!park!due!to!not!many!people!being!about!the!route!I!take.!I!prefer!to!cycle!where!I!can!be!seen!by!members!of!the!public!I!also!cycle!in!Prenzlauerberg!area!and!nearby!in!Berlin!since!2005!and!I!feel!safe!overall,!both!looking!at!how!the!tram!services!and!the!cyclist!lanes.!Here!is!Manchester!I!am!awfully!terrified!about!the!risks!for!cyclists,!the!conditions!of!the!roads!and!the!aggressiveness!of!the!motor!vehicle!drivers.!I!commute!from!Stretford!to!Manchester!and!I!fear!for!my!life.!!!Also!my!daughter!is!now!cycling!to!school!(for!two!years!now)!and!it!is!also!terrifying!for!me.!The!metro!link!intersections!are!under!the!bridge!and!alongside!the!canal!to!Sale!so,!this!is!not!too!much!of!a!direct!problem!for!daily!or!weekend!journeys.!

I!always!get!off!my!bike!when!near!tram!tracks!so!not!to!risk!it.!Even!going!across!it!is!very!slippy!and!easy!to!get!caught!I!am!extremely!aware!and!conscious!NOT!to!get!a!wheel!in!line!and!trapped!by!a!tram!linem!and!to!make!sure!to!cross!tramlines!as!close!to!right!angles!as!possible.!It!does!require!a!lot!of!care!and!concentration!5very!easy!to!come!a!cropper!!I!think!inexperienced!cyclists!would!not!be!as!aware!as!I!am,!and!no!doubt!learn!the!hard!way.!!I!am!frustrated!that!the!Metrolink!expansion!wasn't!seen!as!an!opportunity!to!improve!cycling!infrastructure!by!integrating!safe!and!segregated!lanes!alongside!the!new!tramlines.!I!am!really!happy!that!you!are!taking!a!lead!on!this.!It!is!something!I!am!planning!to!contact!my!local!representative!about!independently!hence!no!to!Q46.!The!city!centre!will!eventually!become!a!no!go!area!for!cyclists!due!to!the!tram!tracks!which!does!not!fit!


!


with!the!goal!of!making!Manchester!a!cycling!city.!St!Peter's!square!is!simply!ridiculous.!Where!are!the!bike!parking!spaces!(should!cyclists!decide!to!use!the!trams!I!am!personally!boycotting!them)??!Why!are!there!fines!in!place!for!cyclists??!It!simply!does!not!fit!with!an!integrated!transport!system!and!is!frankly!an!absolute!disgrace.!I!am!usually!very!cautious,!but!this!particular!track!cuts!straight!across!the!road!so!you!do!have!to!cross!the!tracks!when!using!the!road.!I!just!hope!that!something!could!be!done!to!make!it!a!little!safer!for!cyclists!I!am!very!very!careful!cycling!along!/!across!the!tram!tracks!and!I!am!always!stressed!that!my!front!wheel!will!skid!and!get!trapped!once!again.!It!was!a!horrible!experience.!!I!answered!'no'!to!most!of!these!questions.!The!reason!it's!'no'!is!because!I'm!ultra5careful,!having!had!an!unpleasant!crash!on!my!Brompton!in!2001!when!the!wheel!got!stuck!in!a!tram5track!and!I!carried!on!moving.!This!resulted!in!serious!bruising!and!time!off!work.!Please!take!this!into!consideration!I!came!off!on!tram!tracks!some!time!ago,!outside!the!3!year!window.!!It!takes!some!thoughtful!decisions!on!the!bike!to!avoid!getting!the!wrong!angle!as!you!cross!them.!!Perpendicular!is!best,!and!anything!approaching!parallel!is!a!nightmare,!sometimes!you!have!to!manoeuvre!yourself!further!into!traffic!than!you'd!want!to!to!avoid!the!danger!angles.!!Parts!of!Eccles!New!Road!cycle!lanes!almost!force!you!into!uncomfortable!positions.!I!cash!at!speed!travelling!down!a!road!I!felt!was!badly!signed!with!the!hazard!the!tracks!presented.!I!was!closely!followed!by!a!number!of!cars!which!stopped!and!helped!me!off!the!road!and!could!have!sustained!much!more!serious!injuries.!I!did!follow!the!crash!with!a!visit!to!the!doctor!and!visit!to!A!and!Edue!to!issues!with!my!wrists!/!thumb!and!heavy!bruising.!I!cross!metrolink!tracks!daily!commuting!to!work!without!incident.!I!cross!the!Metrolink!track!at!Old!Trafford!every!day!which!I!don't!find!a!problem.!When!cycling!in!Manchester!city!centre!it!can!be!a!bit!more!intimidating.!!I!cross!the!where!there!are!traffic!lights!and!I!have!not!come!to!any!grief!but!I!am!not!happy!there!should!of!been!a!barrier!to!come!down!when!a!met!is!coming!along.!I!cycle!around!the!city!centre!each!day!with!work!!I!have!a!great!working!relationship!with!the!tram!drivers!and!metro!link.!Mutual!respect!for!our!jobs!means!we!work!well!together.!!I!cycle!every!week!in!and!around!Wythenshawe,!and!there!are!awkward!junctions!even!for!an!experienced!cyclist!such!as!myself.!In!particular!where!roads!on!which!I!cycle!join!a!tram!route.!The!main!problem!in!this!context!is!that!my!joining!route!is!too!parallel!at!the!point!where!it!joins!the!tram!lines,!meaning!I!have!to!do!a!'swan's!neck'!to!cross!the!lines!more!at!right!angles.!Eg!at!both!ends!of!Hollyedge!road!where!it!joins!the!tram!lines.!Also!the!same!problem!at!Southmoor!road,!as!you've!covered.!!!I!didn't!make!a!claim,!as!I!didn't!think!I!could.!I!don't!have!anything!against!the!tracks!themselves,!but!there!are!very!few,!if!any,!good!or!safe!routes!through!the!city!centre!in!any!direction.!This!encourages!cycling!along!tracks!particularly!from!Market!Street!to!Manchester!Central!as!it!is!the!only!traffic!free!route!(and!the!only!one!with!a!decent!surface...).!I!think!the!issue!is!with!poor!routes!through!the!city!centre,!not!the!tracks!themselves.!


!


I!don't!think!most!people!recongnise!the!potential!dangers!of!coming!off!their!bike!on!the!tracks.!!I!came!off!where!there!were!provisions!in!place!to!avoid!crossing!the!tracks!diagonally,!but!I!always!ignored!these!before!as!an!inconvenience.!!I!had!crossed!the!tracks!in!this!place!many!times!in!all!weathers!before!and!had!no!problems.!!The!weather!was!wet!when!my!front!wheel!slipped!and!I!landed!in!the!middle!of!the!road!in!rush5hour!traffic.!I!was!lucky!not!to!be!hit!by!a!car.!!I!never!cross!there!now,!even!in!good!weather!!i!feel!very!unsafe!crossing!them!!I!had!an!incident!about!5!years!ago!where!the!tracks!where!running!in!the!same!direction!as!the!road!ahead.!My!front!tyre!got!stuck!in!the!track!and!i!went!over!my!handlebars.!I!was!very!bruised!and!my!clothes!were!damaged!at!the!knee!and!elbows.!Ever!since!i!have!been!very!wary!around!tram!tracks!and!try!to!go!over!them!at!an!angle,!which!isnmt!always!safe.!I!find!they!can!get!slippy!when!wet!too!(like!some!grids)!and!this!is!a!real!issue!for!me.!I!had!been!cycling!down!Southmoor!road!for!some!time!prior!to!my!accident!but!on!this!particular!day!(27/07/13)!the!tram!lines!were!exposed!and!unexpectedly!I!was!forced!to!cross!the!tram!lines!quite!quickly!after!turning!into!Southmoor!Road!from!the!A560!5!Altrincham!Rd!since!there!was!fencing!ahead!of!me!in!front!of!the!continued!construction!work.!!I!was!thrown!off!my!bike!when!the!front!wheel!jammed!in!the!track!and!suffered!a!pelvic!fracture!which!I!still!have!not!recovered!from.!!There!were!no!signs!put!up!to!warn!cyclists!and!were!not!any!for!some!time!after,!I!know!this!because!ironically!I!had!to!attend!the!fracture!clinic!at!Wythenshawe!Hospital!post!injury!diagnosis.!I!had!to!cycle!alongside!the!metrolink!track!when!they!were!building!the!new!tracks!on!Hardy!Lane.!!The!raodworks!pushed!all!traffic!close!to!the!tracks.!!They!are!no!longer!there!and!it!is!safe!once!again!to!cycle!there!but!it!has!made!me!much!more!careful!when!cycling!alongside!or!crossing!metro!tracks.!I!have!been!lead!to!believe!that!in!other!cities!around!the!world!where!bikes!and!trams!cross!paths!they!have!a!safe!track!system!in!place.!I!have!cycled!across!many!of!the!Metrolink!tracks!around!Manchester,!and!only!feel!unsafe!when!it's!wet.!I!have!also!ridden!in!Sheffield,where!trams!are!part!of!general!traffic,and!it!is!a!lot!safer!in!Manchester!where!there!is!less!danger!of!getting!thin!road!tyres!stuck!in!the!tracks.!I!have!in!the!past!come!off!my!bike!as!the!wheel!has!got!caught!in!a!tram!line!though!this!was!not!a!design!fault!(fault!of!another!cyclist!coming!towards!me!from!down!the!tram!line!in!fact)!I!have!mainly!used!the!new!parts!alongside!the!track!between!Didsbury!and!East!Didsbury.!Lighting!along!the!track!would!be!useful.!I!have!only!cycled!the!section!on!the!A57!between!the!centre!and!Eccles.!I!do!this!in!both!directions!a!handful!of!times!a!year.!I!haven't!had!problems.!I'm!always!careful!to!cross!tracks!at!90!degress.!I'm!puzzled!by!the!"use!dedicated!crossing"!signs!on!some!of!the!newer!tracks.!!The!approach!(on!a!"pretend",!gpainted!cycle!way)!to!St!Peter's!Sq!from!the!South!is!too!narrow!and!this!is!the!one!bit!where!I!feel!uneasy!5!and!while!this!used!to!lead!to!a!proper!crossing!of!the!Square,!that!route!has!been!abolished!with!no!replacement,!as!I'm!sure!you!know.!I!ignore!the!'safe'!alternative!routes!as!they!are!badly!designed!and!inconvenience!


!


cyclists!by!making!them!have!to!make!what!amounts!to!a!long!detour.!!Also!the!traffic!light!filters!on!new!crossings!on!airport!line!do!not!detect!bikes.!!I!knew!the!dangers!of!cycling!over!the!tracks!but!when!coming!down!from!Altrincham!Road!at!the!Tesco,!down!Moor!road,!there!was!no!adequate!place!to!cross!the!tracks!to!get!back!into!the!cycle!lane.!At!the!time!I!did!not!see!any!warning!signs.!I!know!a!colleague!at!work!who!was!thrown!off!his!bike!by!the!tracks!at!the!tram!crossing!on!the!approach!to!Salford!Quays.!He!suffered!a!broken!shoulder!and!was!off!work!for!a!couple!of!months.!!I!live!close!to!the!new!Barlow!Moor!Road!stop,!I!have!cycled!across!the!tracks!on!both!Hardy!Lane!and!Mauldeth!Road!many!times!(daily!communte)!without!incident.!However!i!would!not!feel!safe!doing!so!on!a!road!bike!(mine!is!a!hybrid!with!fatter!tyres).!I!do!not!use!the!safe!crossing!of!the!track!by!Chorlton!High!School!as!it!is!awkward!and!feels!unecessary!to!come!off!the!road.!!I!normally!try!and!cross!tram!tracks!at!a!45!degree!angle.!But!I!lost!concentration,!realised!I!had!turned!too!soon!and!got!caught!in!the!tram!tracks.!I!wasn't!moving!quickly!but!I!was!thrown!from!my!bike!and!landed!on!my!left!side!5!fortunately!I!was!wearing!my!helmet!as!the!side!of!my!head!took!some!of!the!impact.!It's!too!easy!to!get!your!wheels!caught!in!the!tracks!and!extremely!dangerous!when!it!happens.!I!only!have!to!cross!them!on!Hardy!Lane!on!my!route!to!work!5!which!is!fortunately!a!very!quiet,!wide!road.!I!would!get!off!and!wheel!across!any!road!busier!than!that.!!I!seldom!ride!on!the!road/track!sections.!Usually!I!am!on!the!Manchester!Cycleway!where!there!is!a!fence!between!rail!and!cycleway.!!I!think!it!is!a!matter!of!people!being!aware!of!their!surroundings,!paying!attention!to!what!they!are!doing!and!being!very!careful,!cycling!with!headphones!on!will!make!it!harder!to!respond!or!to!hear!what!happens,!general!common!sense!needs!to!be!applied!when!cycling!in!town!as!traffic!is!getting!worse.!!I!think!metro!link!tracks!are!great!for!cycling.!You!can!see!the!tram!from!distance!very!clearly!what!gives!you!plenty!of!time!to!react.!There!are!not!potholes!and!the!surface!is!generally!very!smooth.!It!also!keeps!you!segregated!from!other!motorised!trafic!what!in!fact!keeps!you!safe.!Cyclist!and!metro!link!shares!the!road!on!the!way!to!Eccles!and!I!haven't!heard!about!any!accidents!happening!there.!I!think!people!are!daft!for!not!being!cautious!around!them.!That's!all.!I!think!that!they!are!dangerous!for!cyclists.!When!I!had!my!accident...it!hadn't!been!raining!but!the!tracks!were!wet!from!'morning!dew'.!I!had!a!huge!balck5eye,!had!to!have!an!X5Ray!and!am!receiving!physio!treatment!at!my!local!hospital.!I!think!there!is!room!for!improvement.!!I!hope!this!survey!helps.!I!used!to!bike!to!work!in!Salford!quays,!and!on!my!commute!I!would!avoid!the!road!alongside!the!tram!tracks!and!ride!along!Broadway!instead,!though!it!was!less!direct!and!had!heavier!traffic.!!This!was!because!of!the!acute!angle!that!the!tram!crosses!the!road,!I!would!never!feel!safe!if!any!motor!traffic!was!behind!me.!I!was!just!traveling!,!i!had!to!go!across!the!track.!As!I!went!across!the!track!at!an!angle!My!handlebars!just!turned!into!the!tracks.!I!could!not!control!the!steering!!It!happened!in!1!second!and!i!hit!the!floor!very!hard!!I!would!rather!there!was!trams,!than!wasn't!5!so!this!is!an!issue!I'm!willing!to!put!up!with.!


!


That!being!said!the!combination!of!bikes,!trams,!cars!and!tracks!on!the!same!space!can!be!quite!daunting...!If!metrolink!build!a!track!on!a!roadway!that!has!always!been!accessible!to!bikes!then!an!adjacent!cycle!lane!should!be!included!and!paid!for!by!the!Metrolink.!Traditional!Pedestrian,!cyclist!and!horse!rights!of!way!should!always!take!president!over!trams!and!other!forms!of!motorised!transport!when!planning!takes!place!in!city/town!centres!and!rural!areas..!If!you!ride!near!the!tracks!you!have!to!be!assertive!and!often!use!the!wrong!lane!or!veer!sharply!to!cross!the!tracks!at!an!adequately!obtuse!angle!to!prevent!tramlining!the!wheels!into!the!track!recess.!!Athletic!bike!handling!skills,!extensive!on5road!experience!and!confidence!to!mix!it!with!the!traffic!appear!to!be!a!prerequisite!of!cycling!near!to!these!tracks.!I'm!completing!this!survey!because!a!friend!of!mine!had!a!nasty!fall!when!his!front!wheel!went!into!a!tram!track!in!central!Manchester!in!2011.!!He!was!in!his!sixties!and!cycled!everywhere!at!the!time.!!He!spent!weeks!in!hospital!recovering!from!a!broken!leg,!arm!and!collar!bone!5!he!couldn't!even!use!crutches!so!was!confined!to!a!wheelchair!for!some!time.!!It!put!him!right!off!cycling.!!!I'm!not!regularly!in!touch!with!him!at!present!but!he's!local!(Fallowfield).!I!have!his!contact!details!and!I!think!he!would!probably!be!happy!to!tell!people!about!it.!I!think!of!him!and!the!videos!I've!seen!of!Edinburgh!city!centre!tumbles!whenever!I'm!cycling!near!tram!tracks!these!days.!!It!doesn't!fill!me!with!confidence.!Improve!canal!towpath!Ashton!to!Manchester!give!cyclists!another!option.!In!my!honest!opinion!towpaths!are!far!less!stressful!and!make!an!enjoyable!start!to!my!working!day!In!my!opinion,!the!recent!metrolink!track!installation!for!Ashton!does!not!allow!for!safe!cycling!and!has!increased!the!risk!of!a!serious!accident.!!At!the!end!of!the!day,!cars!will!park!along!the!side!of!the!road,!and!buses!stopping!will!force!cyclists!to!cross!tram!tracks!(occasionally!at!speed/short!notice).!!This!should!have!been!given!far!more!thought!at!design!phase!in!terms!of!future!proofing!the!road!layouts!for!forecasted!growth!in!cyclist!numbers!over!years!to!come.!!(There!are!sections!along!this!road!where!the!pavement!is!about!12!ft!wide!5!some!of!this!area!could!have!been!used!to!improve!the!situation)!!I!have!raced!at!home!and!abroad,!I!commute,!I!ride!road!bikes,!I!ride!XC!mountain!bikes,!I!ride!downhill!mountain!bikes!and!I!have!cycle5toured!the!length!of!the!UK:5!!I!am!an!extremely!competent!cyclist!so!I!really!did!not!think!that!I!would!end!up!sliding!down!the!road!in!busy!traffic!as!a!result!of!crossing!tram!lines!(which!I!have!done!safely!many!times!before).!!I!have!a!lot!of!contacts!in!the!cycling!world!and!I!am!aware!that!tramkline!!incidents!are!happening!to!a!lot!of!people!(including!scooters!aswell!apparently)!and!I!believe!are!largely!unreported.!(I!regret!not!reporting!mine!at!the!time.)!!Given!how!unpredictable!tramlines!can!be,!combined!with!large!(and!increasing)!numbers!of!cyclists!who!are!unaware!of!their!risks,!further!combined!with!motorists!who!are!unaware!of!the!issues,!and!the!need!to!give!cyclist!more!space,!I!suspect!it!is!a!


!


matter!of!time!before!the!first!fatality!is!recorded.!!!!

Installation!of!extra!cycle!paths!that!involve!taking!a!convoluted!route!around!them!is!not!the!best!solution!as!they!add!extra!time!to!a!journey.!There!needs!to!be!a!way!of!making!the!tram!tracks!themselves!safer.!is!there!any!way!you!could!put!fine!!grit!on!the!line!where!we!cross!the!lines?!I!was!on!the!floor!before!I!knew!it!and!it!wasnt!even!raining!!It!completely!took!me!by!surprise!as!I!didn't!realise!wheels!could!get!caught!in!the!tracks.!I!would've!had!to!take!a!sharp!turn!to!have!avoided!this!injury.!I!am!considering!reporting!to!TfGM!and!possible!compensation!as!my!bike!was!also!damaged.!!It!is!particularly!bad!cycling!across!the!lines!and!in!the!wet.!!It!was!a!very!windy!day!and!I!was!blown!into!the!tracks!as!I!had!changed!into!the!road!as!I!needed!to!cross!Eccles!New!Road.!It!would!be!beneficial!if!cycle!routes!near!Metrolink!tracks!in!the!city!centre!were!better!signposted,!I!often!feel!marginalised!by!car/bus!traffic,!pedestrians!and!the!tram,!being!an!irritation!to!all!it!would!be!good!if!you!can!think!about!cyclists!when!you!plan!new!routes!and!add!cycle!tracks!alongside.!

I've!been!to!other!European!cities!where!people!cross!tram!lines!all!over!the!place!with!no!problems.!!Young!old,!male!or!female.!!There!are!probably!some!limits!when!trying!to!squeeze!tram!lines!in!on!an!old!road!and!looking!at!Europe!it!is!about!the!rider's!skills!and!experience.!I've!never!had!a!problem!and!don't!find!the!signs!confusing!at!all.!!Just!that!consideration!has!to!given!in!the!planning!stages!of!tram!developments!in!order!to!ensure!safer!cycling!routes!and!to!allow!more!cyclists!to!ride!on!the!road,!feel!safe!doing!so!and!reduce!the!amount!of!incidentsm!which!at!my!workplace!(British!Cycling)!we!hear!too!regularly.!!!!Let!bikes!on!the!trams!Make!them!more!flat!!Metrolink!are!awful.!Metrolink!signs!and!signals!can!only!be!understood!by!tram!drivers.!These!should!be!clearer!for!pedestrians!and!cyclists.!where!tracks!cross!cycle!paths!get!slippery!in!the!rain!and!icy!in!the!cold.!I!am!not!sure!how!this!can!be!avoided!however.!Metrolink!tracks!proactively!in!my!opinion!discourages!cycling.!How!can!we!not!have!a!solution!to!help!cyclists!in!this!day!and!age!to!stop!skidding!on!tracks!or!riders!getting!stuck!in!tracks.!More!needs!to!be!done!to!improve!tram!track!safety.!Though!its!great!that!trams!are!being!built,!they!reduce!pollution!and!take!traffic!of!the!streets,!it!is!terrifying!to!be!trying!to!change!lanes!across!the!tram!tracks!whilst!a!HGV!is!bearing!down!on!you.!Much!better!signage!and!better!road!crossing!options!needed!My!accident!happened!when!a!new!station!(cemetary!road)!was!being!built!and!signage!was!very!poor,!providing!no!warning!that!tra,!tracks!went!diagonally!across!the!road!ahead!My!daily!commute!journey!over!the!last!10!years!does!not!cross!any!Metrolink!tracks.!I!


!


have!slipped!on!Metrolink!rails!in!wet!conditions!on!a!couple!of!occasions.!As!a!result!I!am!very!wary!of!crossing!rails!at!a!shallow!angle.!!!The!construction!of!the!2nd!Metrolink!City!Crossing!has!now!placed!rails!along!my!path.!I!don't!know!how!the!final!route!will!look.!However,!exiting!or!approaching!Manchester!Victoria!station!onto!Corporation!Street,!it!is!possible!that!I!will!be!forced!to!cross!rails!at!an!angle,!once!or!twice.!The!current!layout!of!the!road!(with!ongoing!roadworks)!means!that,!on!approaching!Victoria,!I!have!to!swing!wide!to!the!right!before!crossing!the!rails!in!an!attempt!to!achieve!a!safe!crossing!angle.!I!feel!very!unsafe!both!in!swinging!to!the!right!and!in!crossing!the!rails.!My!opinion!is!that!the!tracks!are!very!dangerous!for!cyclists.!!I!would!like!to!pursue!a!claim!with!the!relevant!authorities!whoever!that!may!be!but!was!more!or!less!talked!out!of!it!by!a!solicitors!company,!I!think!maybe!they!had!bigger!fish!to!to!fry!at!the!time!!!Any!help!you!could!offer!to!point!me!in!the!right!direction!would!be!very!much!appreciated.!!I!broke!5!bones!and!had!to!have!surgery!on!my!shoulder!so!it!was!a!very!serious!incident!!Never!had!a!problem!and!think!it!is!quite!safe.!I!am!not!sure!how!things!can!be!improved!apart!from!ensuring!all!future!lines!are!segregated!away!from!cycle!routes.!!ok!so!the!incidents!i've!had!are!caused!by!wet!tracks!(wheels!slipping!under!breaking)!and!black!tracks!on!a!black!road,!in!low!light,!in!the!wet.!and!since!they!cut!straight!over!the!lane!but!at!a!10!degree!angle!or!so,!im!sure!my!friend!wasnt!the!only!one!who's!slipped!into!them.!!On!multiple!occasions!tram!drivers!have!blown!there!horn!at!me!when!they!are!behind!me!on!the!shared!road.!It's!dangerous!enough!that!I!have!to!cross!tram!lines!in!the!road!without!being!distracted!by!impatient!tram!drivers!who!clearly!don't!realise!that!cyclists!have!as!much!right!of!way!on!the!road!as!trams.!On!my!mobile!device!I!couldn't!get!the!map!to!work,!but!my!incident!was!on!Eccles!New!Road.!Bad!surface,!bad!cycle!lane!and!signage,!bad!junctions,!many!cars,!impatient!tram!drivers!and!tram!tracks!do!not!make!a!good!mix.!On!South!Langworthy!there!are!really!wide!pavements,!some!of!which!are!set!over!for!!cycle!lanes.!However,!as!I!travel!at!an!average!of!over!15mph,!these!are!not!appropriate!to!use.!The!cycle!lanes!are!full!of!debris!thrown!to!the!side!by!traffic,!there!are!pedestrians!in!the!way!and!they!stop!every!100!yards!to!give!way!to!traffic!from!side!roads.!I!appreciate!they!were!probably!intended!to!make!things!safer!but!they!actually!make!things!worse.!If!the!road!was!wider,!I!wouldn't!have!had!to!try!to!manoeuvre!around!vehicles!that!were!queueing!to!turn!left.!People!never!complained!in!the!old!days!when!every!road!had!tram!lines!in!them.!!People!are!far!too!soft!and!thick!these!days,!and!have!to!be!told!everything.!Just!takes!common!sense.!There!are!more!important!things!to!worry!about!like!jumping!red!lights.!publicity!in!Manchester!about!the!dangers!is!very!small.!Other!cities!seem!to!take!it!much!more!seriously.!Pulling!out!to!make!a!right!turn!is!made!much!harder!when!you!have!to!cross!in5lane!tram!tracks.!Ideally!one!would!pick!a!good!gap!in!the!traffic!and!drift!out!to!the!middle!without!making!any!sudden!movements.!To!avoid!getting!a!wheel!stuck!in!the!gap!in!the!track,!it!is!necessary!to!cross!at!45!degrees!or!more,!which!becomes!a!sudden!swerve!


!


and!this!requires!more!road!space!to!the!left!of!the!tracks!to!execute!safely!at!any!speed!above!walking!pace.!It!also!means!that!one!cannot!cross!the!2!lanes!of!the!road!in!2!operations,!as!when!one!reaches!the!middle!of!the!road!it!must!be!clear!in!the!other!direction!because!one!is!already!committed!to!the!manouvre.!Putting!tram!tracks!at!a!shallow!angle!compared!to!a!cyclists!route!is!an!accident!waiting!to!happen.!Can!they!not!simply!fill!in!the!gap!between!the!rail!and!road!surface!with!a!rubber/plastic!compressible!insert!that!allows!cycling!over!the!gap?!That!might!mean!spending!money!though.!!Skidding!and!crossing!tracks!is!not!the!only!issue.!On!many!roads!you!are!forced!to!cycle!in!a!small!space!between!parked!cars!and!the!rail!line.!This!prevents!you!from!riding!in!the!primary!position!on!the!road!meaning!you!are!more!exposed!to!dooring,!close!overtaking!and!left5hooks!at!junctions.!Slippery!and!dangerous!Some!junctions!do!not!allow!you!to!cross!the!tracks!at!a!ninety!degree!angle!The!accident!I!had!with!the!tram!tracks!was!partly!caused!because!Metrolink!were!working!on!the!installation!of!the!tracks!across!my!usual!cycle!route.!The!road!was!coned!off!for!cars!in!such!a!way!that!cyclists!had!to!approach!the!tracks!at!an!angle,!or!get!off!the!bike!and!push.!I!came!to!the!tracks!at!an!angle!much!less!than!90degrees!and!the!wheel!got!caught!and!was!snatched!away!at!some!speed.!!The!barriers!at!St!Werburgh's!Road!station!5!crossing!the!Fallowfield!Loop!are!too!obstructive!5!difficult!on!my!hybrid!5!next!to!impossible!on!my!tandem!with!child!on!the!back.!!The!crossings!and!barriers!can!be!difficult!5!not!enough!space!for!everyone!to!pass!through.!!the!crossings!provided!in!places!at!a!not5shallow!angle!in!places!(e.g.!near!Piccadilly!Gardens!coming!from!Whitworth!Street)!take!you!directly!into!the!route!of!passing!cars!which!is!dangerous!in!itself!and!therefore!means!cyclists!don't!use!the!facility!5!they're!saved!from!one!danger!to!be!given!another.!!!The!incident!happened!whilst!the!lines!were!still!being!built.!I!had!to!make!a!sharp!turn!to!ride!through!the!narrow,!twisty,!barriered!route!across!the!works!which!directed!me!to!ride!in!line!with!the!tracks.!As!the!route!was!very!narrow!I!was!unable!to!make!the!tight!turn!and!keep!out!of!the!track.!Now,!my!95year5old!son!and!I!have!to!make!a!90!degree!right!hand!turn!over!the!tracksm!I!have!warned!him!to!make!his!turning!angle!as!wide!as!possible!and!to!take!extra!care!when!the!tracks!are!wet.!!The!lockers!that!look!like!dog!kennels!are!crap!The!photo!that!appeared!in!the!online!MEN!with!the!details!of!your!survey!was!taken!at!the!exact!location!that!both!myself!and!my!wife!crashed!off!our!bikes!on!14th!February!2015.!We!were!cycling!down!Ashton!New!Road!into!Manchester!for!the!first!time.!!!Details:5!•!Date!of!accident!–!14th!February!2015!•!Time!:5!11:55!am!approximately!•!Location!–!Ashton!New!Road,!Droylsden!!–!very!near!Cemetery!Road!Metrolink!Station!and!the!Jolly!Carter!Pub!!


!


•!We!were!travelling!towards!Manchester!at!approximately!20!MPH!!•!As!we!went!over!the!tram!track,!first!ML!suddenly!fell!to!the!ground,!then!JL!approximately!10!meters!behind!fell!to!the!ground.!!•!We!were!tended!to!by!a!district!nurse!who!was!in!the!car!behind!and!a!police!officer,!who!was!in!the!car!behind!her.!Both!were!on!duty!and!incredibly!helpful.!!!•!The!landlord!and!landlady!from!the!Jolly!Carter!also!came!out!of!their!pub!and!were!very!supportive.!They!said!that!we!were!about!the!100th!cyclist!to!fall!off!since!the!tracks!were!laid.!!•!The!dangers!on!this!part!of!the!road!are!not!apparent!and!no!obvious!warning!is!given.!There!is!a!cycle!path!around!the!back!of!Cemetery!Road!Station,!thus!avoiding!the!tracks,!but!it!is!not!signposted!clearly!and!is!not!apparent!to!cyclist!travelling!down!the!road!for!the!first!time!!!Result!of!crash:5!!–!broken!upper!humerus.!Two!to!three!months!recovery!period.!Will!be!off!work!most!of!that!time,!she!is!a!primary!school!nursery!teacher.!!–!superficial!cuts,!bruises!and!strains.!Right!shoulder,!‘impingement’,!possible!dislocation!–!x5rays!taken,!awaiting!scan!!•!Damage!to!both!bikes!and!clothing.!!Reflection:5!!a!visit!to!the!crash!scene,!one!month!on!!!•!There!is!a!cycle!path!around!the!back!of!Cemetery!Road!Station,!it!is!initially!laid!out!on!the!road.!There!is!also!one!sign!indicating!that!cyclist!should!leave!the!road,!go!onto!the!pavement,!go!round!the!back!of!the!station!and!then!return!to!the!road!at!the!Jolly!Carter!Pub.!!•!To!a!cyclists!who!knows!the!road,!this!is!fairly!clear.!!!•!However,!for!a!cyclist!coming!down!the!road!for!the!first!time,!it!is!very!easy!to!miss!the!signage!!There!are!dangers!and!distractions!all!around!the!area!that!cyclists!are!supposed!to!exit!the!road.!Cyclists!and!other!road!users!are!faced!withm!traffic!lights,!rails,!parked!cars,!other!vehicles!and!pedestrians!at!the!very!point!that!they!are!to!come!to!a!stop!and!leave!the!road.!!•!I!have!looked!in!detail!at!the!point!we!crashed!off!our!bikes.!We!are!certain!that!it!was!at!the!second!set!of!rails!that!bring!the!Manchester!bound!trams!back!across!the!road!and!are!almost!parallel!to!the!road!at!the!crash!point.!!!


!


•!The!Jolly!Carter!was!shut.!But!as!we!were!looking!at!the!crash!site!the!Landlord!of!the!pub!parked!his!car!outside!and!spoke!to!me.!He!remember!us!and!confirmed!that!up!to!120!cyclists!had!fallen!to!his!knowledge.!He!also!stated!the!not!as!many!cyclists!fall!off!in!the!winter!–!but!there!will!be!a!lot!in!the!summer!months.!There!were!many!fallers!last!summer.!!•!The!landlord!also!recall!a!day!last!year,!the!day!of!the!‘Great!Manchester!Cycle’!(29th!June),!when!a!cyclist!crashed!outside!the!pub!and!while!they!were!waiting!for!an!ambulance,!another!cyclist!also!crashed.!Both!cyclists!were!taken!to!hospital.!!•!He!also!said!that!other!cyclist!who!had!crashed!returned!to!take!pictures!and!speak!to!him,!one!he!has!given!a!statement!to!one!solicitor.!!•!The!landlord!said!that!he!has!had!discussions!with!‘Metrolink’!staff,!who!looked!like!bosses!/!planners,!about!the!road!layout!and!the!dangers!to!cyclists,!but!they!have!done!very!little!to!change!things.!He!is!a!cyclist!himself!and!thinks!red!warnings!signs!should!be!in!place!both!on!the!road!and!at!the!side!to!warn!unsuspecting!cyclists.!!!NB!–!experienced!‘social’!cyclist,!out!two!or!three!times!a!week!on!bikes.!We!have!cycled!all!over!England!and!Western!Europe.!We!often!cycle!near!Media!City!Salford!Keys!and!are!aware!of!the!dangers!of!tram!tracks.!Never,!in!40!years!of!cycling!have!we!cycled!down!a!road!as!dangerous!as!Ashton!New!Road!Droylsden!!

The!presence!of!tram!tracks!down!the!centre!of!the!roads!eg!Ashton!new!road!makes!it!impossible!to!turn!safely!from!those!roads!on!a!bike.!Also!there!are!major!hazards!where!a!cyclist!has!to!overtake!parked!cars!near!the!tram!tracks.!This!causes!major!injury!risk!for!all!cyclists.!It!would!appear!as!if!many!of!the!routes!have!been!planned!without!consideration!of!the!needs!of!cyclists.!!The!road!design!in!some!areas!of!the!city!seems!poor.!More!notice!needs!to!be!taken!by!planners!and!policy!makers!to!the!views!of!cycling!organisations.!Because!of!their!focus!they!will!know!a!great!deal!about!the!impact!poor!design!choices!will!have!on!active!travel,!so!their!expertise!should!be!embraced.!!the!tracks!are!really!slippy!in!wet!conditions,!and!if!your!tyre!gets!caught!in!them,!you!are!going!to!fall.!Cyclists!have!not!been!thought!about!it!in!the!planning!of!where!the!tracks!will!be!put.!The!tracks!don't!move!so!you!know!where!they!are.!If!you!are!not!good!enough!to!circumnavigate!static!objects!such!as!tram!tracks!then!surely!it!is!dangerous!for!you!to!be!on!the!road!with!moving!things!such!as!motorists!or!pedestrians!

The!work!done!on!the!Southmoor!Rd,!Altringham!Rd!junction!has!forced!me!use!the!shared!use!pavement.!This!is!not!good!for!pedestrians!and!cyclists!as!the!route!is!busy!and!goes!through!bus!stops.!There!are!many!examples!where!bicyclists!and!trams!can!exist!happily!together.!Manchester!is!unfortunately!not!one!of!those!places.!There!are!some!ridiculous!junctions!of!road!and!track!where!there!is!no!possibility!for!the!cyclist!to!hit!the!tracks!at!90!


!


degrees.!I!have!friends!who!have!had!serious!injuries!as!a!result!of!the!tram!tracks!and!am!sure!that!it!can't!be!long!before!there!is!a!death.!Who!on!earth!approved!these!routes?!There!are!no!Street!lights!along!cycle!path!from!password!to!didsbury!There!are!several!places!on!NCR!55!where!you!need!to!cross!the!tracks!whilst!looking!out!for!other!traffic.!!In!particular!before!the!Weaste!tram!stop!in!the!direction!of!Manchester,!where!if!one!continues!to!cycle,!one!needs!to!look!over!ones!shoulder!while!crossing!a!traffic!lane!and!negotiating!the!tram!tracks.!!As!this!is!supposed!to!be!a!National!Cycle!route!I!think!this!is!unacceptable.!There!dangerous,!it!my!case!the!front!wheel!went!in!the!rails!I!went!flying!damaged!my!bike,!my!body!and!clothing!There!is!no!clear!way!through!manchester!city!centre!that!is!safe!for!cyclists.!!The!tracks!around!piccadilly!gardens!are!particularly!unsafe.!The!cycle!paths!apporaching!St.!Peter's!Square!disappear!leaving!the!cyclist!at!the!mercy!of!approaching!trams.!In!a!city!that!is!supposed!to!promote!renewable!transport!this!is!completely!unaccaptable.!There!just!needs!to!be!a!bit!more!thought.!make!it!so!you!cross!at!right!angles,!or!I've!seen!good!rubber!bungs!in!other!cities.!Given!where!they!run,!if!tracks!can't!be!made!safe!let!bikes!on!trams!outside!of!rush!hour!There!should!be!separate!cycle!lanes.!If!we!need!to!cross!them!there!should!be!some!sort!of!filler!in!them!and!they!need!to!be!made!so!that!they!aren't!slippy!when!dry,!wet!or!icy!There!was!a!missed!opportunity!to!create!good!cycling!infrastructure!whilst!building!metro!link!extensions!thet!are!very!dangerous!in!the!way!many!route!swerve!across!cycle!lanes!or!parts!of!the!road!used!by!cyclists!5!the!eccles!line!is!lethal!as!is!the!bit!through!ashton!They!are!a!hazard!to!cycling.!Even!more!so!when!wet!and!in!the!dark!!I!urge!Metrolink!to!do!more!in!regard!to!design,!signage,!education!and!training.!They!are!a!total!nightmare!!I've!never!actually!crashed,!but!when!in!traffic!trying!to!avoid!vehicles!and!the!tram!tracks!is!difficult,!and!feels!unsafe,!especially!in!the!wet.!The!new!town!centre!tram!infrastructure!is!only!going!to!make!it!worse,!due!to!the!lack!of!proposed!tram!track!free!cycling!routes!into!and!through!the!city!centre.!they!are!dangerous!They!are!lethal!!!They!get!very!slippery!and!if!you!do!not!cycle!across!them!in!aperpendicular!fashion!you!are!always!at!risk!of!an!accident!They!have!restricted!my!cycling!around!Manchester!They!often!feel!to!have!been!laid!without!consideration!for!cyclist!or!motorcyclists!They!really!aren't!an!issue!so!long!as!you!remain!vigilant!and!take!care!to!cross!them!as!close!to!a!90!degrees!as!you!can.!!They!should!be!made!safer,!when!riding!in!the!rain,!shinny!metal!&!rubber!tyres!don't!mix!!This!is!one!of!a!number!of!incidents!I've!had!on!Metrolink!tracks,!probably!five!in!all,!but!the!map!tool!was!so!clunky!I've!just!reported!one.!!This!questionaire!doesn't!work!properly!for!iPhones!so!unable!to!use!the!map!to!explain!


!


where!the!four!incidences!occurred.!!!All!four!happened!at!the!top!of!Mosley!St!near!Marks!&!Spencer's.!That!area!is!lethal!for!cyclists!!!!!!This!survey!seems!to!be!specifically!looking!for!problems,!with!leading!questions!rather!than!neutral!questions.!I'd!expect!this!from!metrolink,!but!not!from!FOE!!Though!I!will!still!cycle!alongside!and!across!tracks!my!wife!will!not!and!so!when!we!are!out!together!we!chose!different!routes!to!the!ones!I!would!take!on!my!own.!To!cross!tram!tracks!safely,!you!need!to!be!able!to!cross!at!close!to!90!degrees!to!the!track,!but!some!of!the!junctions!don't!allow!for!this!Tracks!are!good!for!cycling,!since!there's!less!people!on!the!tracks!in!city!centre.!Concentration!is!obviously!needed!in!crossing!them,!but!I'd!say!its!common!knowledge.!Tracks!should!run!horizontal!to!roads!if!there!is!no!option!to!use!a!cycle!path!as!wheels!are!very!easily!caught!in!the!tram!tracks,!and!it!is!dangerous!if!this!means!you!have!to!cycle!across!the!road!a!bit!at!an!angle!to!get!across!them!without!this!occurring!Tram!!drivers!lurk!behind!you!hooting!their!hooters!as!if!you!can!just!get!out!the!way,!but!kerb!is!to!servere!in!most!parts.!

Tram!tracks!pose!a!hazard!for!slipping,!particularly!in!bad!weather.!I!also!do!not!feel!comfortable!cycling!so!closely!to!trams!as!the!backdraft!creating!by!a!tram!passing!can!cause!the!bike!to!become!unstable.!Shared!pedestrian!cycle!paths!currently!provided!are!inadequate,!with!stop!start!at!junctions!and!blind!corners,!and!paths!just!disappearing!with!no!clear!filter!route.!!Unclear!whether!the!tram!or!the!cyclist!has!right!of!way!on!streets!too!narrow!for!both.!!The!trams!appear!to!assume!that!if!they!sound!their!horn!they!have!right!of!way!5!and!because!they!have!a!timetable!to!keep!they!don't!want!to!go!slowly!behind!a!cyclist!until!they!have!room!to!pass.!Very!dangerous!for!cyclists!&!motorcyclists!for!that!matter!to!cycle!across!the!tram!lines!whatever!the!weather.!I!am!really!cautious!when!cycling!over!them.!With!regards!to!my!accident,!I!came!off!my!bike!cycling!to!work,!skidding!on!the!newly!painted!lines.!My!GP!said!I!was!the!2nd!person!to!visit!him!who!had!come!off!their!bike!in!the!same!manner.!The!lines!have!been!painted!too!thickly.!I!am!awaiting!a!response!from!TfGM!or!Man!City!Council!regarding!my!complaint.!!VERY!dangerous!when!wet!We!need!better!cycle!lanes!to!ensure!that!cyclists!feel!safer.!It!would!have!been!nice!to!see!this!put!in!place!alongside!the!metrolink,!specifically!at!the!hotspots!which!are!causing!the!most!accidents.!!When!crossing!tram!tracks!you!have!to!be!careful!your!wheels!do!not!follow!the!groove!of!the!tram!track!When!cycling!over!tram!tracks!I!am!very!careful!to!take!a!right!angle!to!the!track!and!slow!down!to!negotiate!the!tracks.!I!have!been!hassled!by!bus!drivers!and!car!drivers!when!doing!so!as!they!are!in!such!a!hurry!to!get!through!the!intersection!and!don't!seem!to!understand!the!risk!I!am!taking!going!over!the!tracks.!When!i!cycled!across!a!tramline!in!Salford!Quays!my!bike!wheel!slipped!on!the!tramline!and!i!fell!and!landed!on!the!tramline!breaking!my!hip.!I!had!to!have!an!emergency!!


!


opeation!to!repair!my!hip,!There!are!no!warning!signs!to!inform!you!that!the!tramlines!are!a!hazzard!for!cyclists.!I!would!not!advise!anybody!to!cross!the!tramlines!on!a!bike!When!Tram!Drivers!are!driving!they!never!really!look!around!for!hazards,!pedestrians!or!cyclists...!They!don't!even!notice!us.!The!same!with!motorists.!Whilst!I!can!see!that!these!tram!tracks!were!signposted,!I!still!managed!to!go!into!them!twice,!mainly!because!the!tracks!along!my!route!to!work!run!parallel!to!the!direction!of!traffic.!I!was!lucky!in!both!instances!not!to!be!run!over!after!falling!off!my!bike.!Maybe!Metrolink!could!look!at!better!ways!of!installing!tram!tracks!where!there!is!little!room!for!the!cyclist!who!also!has!to!compete!on!the!road!with!motorists.!Thanks.!Why!are!people!even!riding!near!them?!Across!them!fine,!but!there!should!be!suitable!routes!to!avoid!the!need!for!cycling!along!the!tracks.!Would!be!really!great!if!cycling!was!made!safe/er!around!metrolink!tracks!as!following!the!tracks!is!often!the!quickest!way!from!A!to!B!in!Manchester!city!centre.!!Yes!5!i!would!avoid!all!routes!cycling!along!the!direction!of!tram!travel,!as!it!is!difficult!or!cross!the!lines!or!turn.!!The!road!crossings!in!the!centre!of!Manchester!are!bad!enough,!they!are!very!lumpy,!which!is!difficult!when!you!are!cycling!with!one!leg!yes!make!sure!all!bikes!are!insured!as!they!are!the!ones!causing!all!the!problems!by!riding!3!abreast!i!think!the!outer!2!should!be!knocked!off!their!bikes!for!holding!up!TAX!paying!road!users!You!get!the!feeling!that!cyclists!are!an!afterthought!and!provisions!are!designed!by!non5cyclists!who!are!ignorant!You!have!to!be!careful!and!make!sure!when!crossing!!tram!tracks!you!are!at!90!deg!.!Extra!care!is!needed!when!travelling!in!the!same!direction!!you!just!have!to!be!careful!when!crossing!tracks.!!It!is!the!same!with!potholes!all!over!Manchester!!!End*Notes!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!1!See!www.loveyourbike.org!!

2!Statement*text:*The*Manchester*Cycle*Forum*meeting*of*9th*December*2014:!

1)!Notes!the!serious!concerns!raised!by!British!Cycling!in!November!2012!on!the!new!tram!lines!around!the!Manchester!Velodrome![1]!and!previous!concerns!raised!by!a!Manchester!Wheelers!member!in!2010!regarding!the!Eccles!New!Road!route.![2]!2)!Also!notes!that!many!Manchester!residents!already!use!cycle!routes!through!Trafford!Park!and!to!Media!City!and!that!funding!has!been!secured!to!build!the!Trafford!Park!Metrolink!line.!3)!Is!dismayed!that!despite!raising!concerns!over!the!design!and!provision!of!cycling!provision!alongside!Metrolink!routes!that!yet!again!inconvenient!and,!in!some!cases,!unsafe!cycling!provision!has!again!been!installed!on!the!Metrolink!extension!routes.!Notably,!the!Altrincham!Road!/!Southmoor!Road!junction!on!the!Metrolink!Airport!route!


!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4)!Calls!on!Transport!for!Greater!Manchester,!Metrolink!and!its!project!contractors!to!ensure!that:!a)!remedial!measures!are!taken!to!improve!the!cycling!infrastructure!provision!along!existing!Metrolink!routesm!b)!future!Metrolink!routes,!such!as!Trafford!Park,!must!be!designed!to!meet!the!TfGM!Cycle!Design!guidance!which!outlines!the!5!key!criteria!“for!successful!and!effective!cycling!infrastructure”,!namely:!safety,!coherence,!directness,!attractiveness!and!comfort.!c)!the!cycling!organisations!in!Greater!Manchester!are!involved!from!the!beginning!of!the!design!process.!http://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/concerns5with5metrolink5tram5routes5statement5to5manchester5cycle5forum/!!3!Manchester!Evening!News,!19th!November!2012.!http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater5manchester5news/olympic5coach5shane5sutton5badly5697251!!4!http://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/bicycle5crashes5and5metrolink5a5freedom5of5information5act5request5and5response/!!5!http://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/what5is5your5experience5of5cycling5across5metrolink5tram5tracks/!!6!http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater5manchester5news/manchester5cyclist5feedback5wanted5love58829801!!7!Health!Impact!Assessment!of!Transport!Initiatives!!A!Guide!(2007)!http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/2124.aspx!!!8!Thomson,Hm!Jepson,Rm!Hurley,Fm!Douglas,M!!(2008)!Assessing!the!unintended!health!impacts!of!road!transport!policies!and!interventions:!translating!research!evidence!for!use!in!policy!and!practice,!!BMC!Public!Health,!v8,!p339.!!See!http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/147152458585339.pd!!!9!Cameron,ICm!Harris,NJm!Kehoe,NJS! (2001)!Tram5related! injury! in!Sheffield,! Injury,! v32,!pp2755277)!!10!Deunk,Jm!Harmsen,AMKm!Schonhuth,CPm!Bloemers,FW!(2014)!Injuries!Due!to!Wedging!of!Bicycle!Wheels!in!On5road!Tram!Tracks,!Archives!of!Trauma!Research,!v3,!Iss4!!11!Niska,A!(2013)!Cycling!Safety!and!Infrastructure!Maintenance.!See!!http://www.icsc2013.com/papers/niska2013__Cycling%20safety%20and%20infrastructure%20maintenance.pdf!!12!See!http://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published5stats/additional5datasets!


!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!13!http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/reportable5incidents.htm!!14!Menetrieux,L!(2010)!Tram!Accidents'!Analysis!–!France,!European!Transport!Conference,!2010!Proceedings.!!And!for!its!exploitation,!the!STRMTG!invented!a!codification!with!14!numbers!in!order!to!identify!every!type!of!section!in!a!tram!line!and!to!characterize!its!environment:!crossroads!(simple!or!complex),!the!type!of!traffic!lights,!roundabouts,!tram!stations,!the!limit!speed!for!cars,!for!trams,!and!the!nature!of!the!tram!infrastructure.!With!all!this!information,!the!STRMTG!makes!a!yearly!report!that!presents!the!results!of!the!tram!accident!national!database!analysis!and!the!evolution.!!15! Tram! fall! cyclists! to! sue! Edinburgh! council.! BBC! News! 23/1/2015.!http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk5scotland5edinburgh5east5fife530951833!!16!An!introduction!to!non5collision!cycling!incidents.!NHS!Bristol!2012.!http://www.avon.nhs.uk/phnet/Avonsafe/Cycling%20Injuries/September%202012%205%20FINAL1112.pdf!!!17!http://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/bicycle5crashes5and5metrolink5a5freedom5of5information5act5request5and5response/!!!18!https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterEveningNews/posts/10152698887322060!!!19!!http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tram5track5woes!!Indicating!Feb!2015!!20!http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tram5track5woes!!Indicating!February!2015!!21!Light!rail!tracks!pose!a!safety!risk!to!cyclists!and!motorcyclists.!!http://www.nce.co.uk/opinion/letters5light5rail5tracks5pose5a5safety5risk5to5cyclists5and5motorcyclists/8638562.article!25!April!2013.!!22.!!See!http://www.manchesterwheelers.co.uk/forum/topic20455is5this5dangerous.aspx!!1! 23!Cyclist!killed!at!Croydon!Station!slipped!on!tram!tracks!and!fell!into!path!of!a!bus,!inquest!

hears.!http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/cyclist5killed5at5croydon5station5slipped5on5tram5tracks5and5fell5into5path5of5a5bus5inquest5hears59771861.html!!

!24!See!https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp5content/uploads/2014/11/de5Klerk5201450448.pdf!!!25!http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/11746644._Dangerous__tram_network_under_review_in_wake_of_coroner_s_warnings_over_death_of_cyclist/!!26! An! Investigation! Into! Cyclist! Safety! on! the! Supertram! Network! In! Sheffield,! South!Yorkshire,!Sheffield!City!Council,!December!1998.!!


!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!27!http://www.tramcrash.co.uk/!!28!http://www.greatgasbeetle.com/cycling5and5the5sheffield5tram5network5a5match5made5in5hell/!!29!BBC,!28th!October!2013.!Cyclists!promised!Edinburgh!tram!track!solution.!http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk5scotland5edinburgh5east5fife524712585!!30!BBC!23rd!January!2015.!Tram!fall!cyclists!to!sue!Edinburgh!council,!http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk5scotland5edinburgh5east5fife530951833!!!31!BBC!28th!May!2015,!Lawyers!warn!of!cyclists'!tram!risk,!http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk5scotland5edinburgh5east5fife532899109!!!32!http://www.spokes.org.uk/wp5content/uploads/2009/12/13015Tramline5crash5claiming5v55final.pdf!!33!Cyclists!warned!of!tram!track!dangers!as!woman!comes!off!bike!http://www.nottinghampost.com/Bike5ride5tram5town5led5tracks5tears/story5212359315detail/story.html!!34!http://road.cc/content/news/1316105nottingham5man5says5hes5lucky5be5alive5after5his5bike5wheel5caught5new5tramlines!!35!http://www.nottinghampost.com/Julian5Bentley5Tram5track5cycle5accidents5need/story5251453685detail/story.html!!!36!http://www.thetram.net/pdfs/50580_NET%20CYCLE%20ROUTE%20A2%20AMENDED%2010PP%20DL_CHILWELL_WEB.pdf!!!37!http://www.thetram.net/pdfs/50580_NET%20CYCLE%20ROUTE%20A2%20AMENDED%2010PP%20DL_CLIFTON_WEB.pdf!!38!https://smartertravelnottingham.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/join5our5tram5safety5sessions/!!39!http://pedals.org.uk/cyclists_and_the_net/!!40!http://www.thetram.net/Cycle%20leaflet%20low%20res.pdf!!41!!Tram!Video!Provides!Safety!Tips!For!Cyclists.!http://www.thetram.net/latest5news/1/tram5video5provides5

safety5tips/!!42!http://www.manchesterhealthacademy.org.uk/wp5content/uploads/2014/03/Metrolink5Safety5for5Cyclists5Leaflet.pdf!!


!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!43!http://pedals.org.uk/cyclists_and_the_net/!!44!See!http://cycling.tfgm.com/pages/pdfs/GM5Cycle5Design5Guide.pdf!!!45![Page!22]!!Greater!Manchester!Cycle!Design!Guidance,!!http://cycling.tfgm.com/pages/pdfs/GM5Cycle5Design5Guide.pdf!!46!See!http://cycling.tfgm.com/Pages/Velocity.aspx!!47!See!http://cycling.tfgm.com/Pages/Training.aspx!!!48!https://www.gov.uk/the5national5standard5for5cycle5training!!49!Source:!Better!by!Cycle,!Cycling!News,!Transport!for!Greater!Manchester,!1st!July!2015.!!50!See!Page!11!!http://cycling.tfgm.com/pages/pdfs/GM5Cycle5Design5Guide.pdf!!!51!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFHm95hVfCU!!!52!https://www.dropbox.com/s/whxx45ozvcaq35t/Airport!Line!5!AP3!Section!Intrim!Stage!3b!Road!Safety!Audit!32557.pdf!!53!Annex!D:!Code!of!Conduct!Notice!for!Cyclists!!http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090902220008/http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/archive/2004/ltnwc/annexdcodeofconductnoticefor1688!!!54!Metrolink!introduce!changes!'above!and!beyond!industry!standard'!after!pensioner!with!dementia!was!hit!by!tram.!!http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater5manchester5news/metrolink5introduce5changes5above5beyond57984799!!Bibliography*

!2007,!Health!Impact!Assessment!of!Transport!Initiatives!!A!Guide.!

Amoros,!E.,!Martin,!J.5L.,!&!Laumon,!B.!2006,!"Under5reporting!of!road!crash!casualties!in!France",!Accident!Analysis!&!Prevention,!vol.!38,!no.!4,!pp.!6275635.!

Benington,!R.!2012,!An!introduction!to!non=collision!cycling!incidents.!

Benington,!R.!2010,!Study!of!non=collision!cycling!incidents.!Interim!findings,!August!2010.!

Benington,!R.!2013,!Using&hospital&data&to&strengthen&cycle&advocacy.!

Buckley,!A.!&!Wilke,!A.!2000,!Cycle!Lane!Performance:!Road!Safety!Effects.!


!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Cryer,!C.,!Westrup,!S.,!&!Cook,!A.!2000,!Injury!Prevention!through!Data!Linkage!Phase!3:!!The!linkage!of!hospital!inpatient!data!to!police!road!traffic!accident!reports!in!East!and!West!Sussex.!

Cryer,!P.,!Westrup,!S.,!Cook,!A.,!Ashwell,!V.,!Bridger,!P.,!&!Clarke,!C.!2001,!"Investigation!of!bias!after!data!linkage!of!hospital!admissions!data!to!police!road!traffic!crash!reports",!Injury!Prevention,!vol.!7,!pp.!2345241.!

Demant,!A.,!Bangard,!C.,!Bovenschulte,!H.,!Skouras,!E.,!Anderson,!S.,!&!Lackner,!K.!2010,!"MDCT!evaluation!of!injuries!after!tram!accidents!in!pedestrians",!Emergency!Radiology,!vol.!17,!no.!2,!pp.!1035108.!

Deunk,!J.,!Harmsen,!A.,!Schonhuth,!C.,!&!Bloemers,!F.!2014,!"Injuries!Due!to!Wedging!of!Bicycle!Wheels!in!On5road!Tram!Tracks",!Archives!of!Trauma!Research,!vol.!3,!no.!4.!

Hedelin,!A.,!Bunkertorp,!O.,!&!Bjornstig,!C.!2002,!"Public!transport!in!metropolitan!areas!—!a!danger!for!unprotected!road!users",!Safety!Science,!vol.!40,!no.!5,!pp.!4675477.!

Hedelin,!A.,!Bjornstig,!U.,!&!Brismar,!B.!1996,!"Trams—a!risk!factor!for!pedestrians",!Accident!Analysis!&!Prevention,!vol.!28,!no.!6,!pp.!7335738.!

Jeffrey,!S.,!Stone,!D.,!Blamey,!A.,!Clark,!D.,!Cooper,!C.,!Dickson,!K.,!MacKenzie,!M.,!&!Major,!K.!2009,!"An!evaluation!of!police!reporting!of!road!casualties",!Injury!Prevention,!vol.!15,!pp.!13518.!

Korve,!H.,!Farran,!J.,!Mansel,!D.,!Chira5Cavala,!T.,!&!Ragland,!D.!1996,!Integration!of!Light!Rail!Transit!into!City!Streets,!Transportation!Research!Board,!National!Research!Council,!Washington!DC,!TCRP!Report!17.!

Korve,!H.,!Ogden,!B.,!Siques,!J.,!Mansel,!D.,!Richards,!H.,!Gilbert,!S.,!Boni,!E.,!Butchko,!M.,!Stutts,!J.,!&!Hughes,!R.!2001,!Light!Rail!Service:Pedestrian!and!Vehicular!Safety,!Transportation!Research!Board,!National!Research!Council,!Washington!DC,!TCRP!Report!69.!

Laferrère,!G.!2014,!Recommendations!on!the!integration!of!bicycle!in!trams!and!BHLS!infrastructure!projects!Transport!Research!Arena.!

Leonard,!P.,!Beattie,!T.,!&!Gorman,!D.!1999,!"Under!representation!of!morbidity!from!paediatric!bicycle!accidents!by!official!statistics—a!need!for!data!collection!in!the!accident!and!emergency!department",!Injury!Prevention,!vol.!5,!pp.!3035304.!

Menetrieux,!L.!2010,!Tram!Accidents'!Analysis!=!France!European!Transport!Conference,!2010!Proceedings.!

Mitra,!B.,!Jubair,!J.,!Cameron,!P.,!&!Gabbe,!B.!2010,!"Tram5related!trauma!in!Melbourne,!Victoria",!Emergency!Medicine!Australasia,!vol.!22,!no.!4,!pp.!3375342.!


!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Niska,!A.!2013,!Cycling!Safety!and!Infrastructure!Maintenance!Proceedings,!International!Cycling!Safety!Conference!2013!!20521!November!2013,!Helmond,!The!Netherlands.!

Rundmo,!T.,!Nordfjærn,!T.,!&!Roche5Ceras,!I.!2013,!"Objective!and!Perceived!Risk!Estimates!of!Travel!Modes!in!the!Norwegian!Public",!Human!and!Ecological!Risk!Assessment:!An!International!Journal,!vol.!19,!no.!6,!pp.!166451681.!

Sagberg,!F.!&!Saetermo,!I.5A.!1997,!TRAFFIC!SAFETY!OF!TRAM!TRANSPORT!IN!OSLO!(Norwegian),!Norwegian!Institute!of!Transport!Economics.!

Schepers,!P.,!Agerholm,!N.,!Amoros,!E.,!Benington,!R.,!Bjornskau,!T.,!Dhondt,!S.,!de!Geus,!B.,!Hagemeister,!C.,!Loo,!B.,!&!Niska,!A.!2014,!"An!international!review!of!the!frequency!of!single5bicycle!crashes!(SBCs)!and!their!relation!to!bicycle!modal!share",!Injury!Prevention.!

Schepers,!P.,!Agerholm,!N.,!Amoros,!E.,!Benington,!R.,!Bjornskau,!T.,!Dhondt,!S.,!de!Geus,!B.,!Hagemeister,!C.,!Loo,!B.,!&!Niska,!A.!2013,!The!frequency!of!single=bicycle!crashes!(SBCs)!in!countries!with!varying!bicycle!mode!shares.!

Thomson,!H.,!Jepson,!R.,!Hurley,!F.,!&!Douglas,!M.!2008,!"Assessing!the!unintended!health!impacts!of!road!transport!policies!and!interventions:!translating!research!evidence!for!use!in!policy!and!practice",!BMC!Public!Health,!vol.!8,!p.!339.!

Tolonen,!J.,!Kiviluoto,!O.,!Santavirta,!S.,!&!Honkanen,!R.!1983,!SPECIFIC!FEATURES!IN!ROAD!TRAFFIC!INJURIES,!Central!Organization!for!Traffic!Safety,!Finland,!No.!26!!HS5037!544.!

Unger,!R.,!Eder,!C.,!Mayr,!J.,!&!Wernig,!J.!2002,!"Child!pedestrian!injuries!at!tram!and!bus!stops",!Injury,!vol.!33,!no.!6,!pp.!4855488.!

Ward,!H.,!Robertson,!S.,!Lester,!L.,!&!Pedler,!A.!2002,!Reporting!of!Road!Traffic!Accidents!in!London:!Matching!Police!STATS19!Data!with!Hospital!Accident!and!Emergency!Department!Data!PR/T/069/2002.!

Ward,!H.,!Lyons,!R.,!&!Thoreau,!R.!2006,!Under=reporting!of!Road!Casualties!–!Phase!1!Road!Safety!Research!Report!No.!69.!

LYB Metrolink Survey Results - Friends of the Earth …€¦ ·...

Documents

Transcript of LYB Metrolink Survey Results - Friends of the Earth …€¦ ·...