High Street Tram alterations (Cashel Street to Lichfield Street)

These works mainly arise from laying the tram tracks - there will be double tracks over this section.  This part of High St will be a "slow street" and space appears to being created for cyclists as well as the trams.  In addition, cycle stands will be provided! 

The trams have to cross the pedestrian area at the junction of High and Lichfield Sts in order to cross the intersection into the next section of High St.  This may provide an opportunity to improve cycling ccess between these two sections of High St as well (currently linking them requires an awakward devisation via Manchester St).  However, the current proposal doesn't appear to provide for this.

A plan of the proposal is attached.

An email submission ha sbeen lodged, as follows:

Dear Anne

Thanks for the opportunity to comment on this project.  We see a number of potential issues arising from the installation of tram tracks in High Street, and the way this has been addressed in the proposed design.  Unless these issues are addressed, they will significantly diminish the usefulness and pleasantness of High Street for cycling, particularly if the same design is extended to the other sections of the street.

Of particular concern is the space designated for cyclists between the parking bays and the outer tram track (approx. 1.7 metres). A cyclist riding between parked cars and the outer tram track and trying to avoid opening car doors will be very close to the track, and a minor movement outwards could see them getting their front wheel caught in the rail. As we know from the Armagh / Rolleston intersection, this can result in frequent cycle accidents.

To make matters worse, the parking bays are very narrow at 2.0 metres. For years, CCC has been building parking bays at 2.3 metres, as this reflects driver behaviour. Drivers having to manoeuvre into a parking bay across a V channel often end up significantly further away from the kerb than where a parking lane is marked on the carriageway (the V channel is only shown on the cross section; the plan view doesn't give this detail).

With the layout proposed, cyclists riding between the outer tram rail and parked cars will constantly within the door opening zone, as the proposed corridor is too narrow for this, and the parking bays are not deep enough (and are a departure from Council’s own practice). Opening car doors are the main hazards for cyclists in the midblock.  Cycle safety problems have therefore been engineered into the proposed design, as it stands.

It will be far safer to cycle between the tram rails, i.e. in the same position where a tram would position itself. This is already common practice on other sections of road with straight stretches of tram lines (e.g.  Worcester Boulevard). For this to be comfortable for most cyclists in this location, we suggest:

Posting a 20 km/h speed limit for the street (which would support Council’s aim of creating a slow street environment),

Making the carriageway narrower, so that the gap between parked cars and the tram tracks reduces to something that is obviously too narrow for cyclists to use (We suggest reducing the carriageway width from 8.3 metres to perhaps 7.0 metres, which gives another 650 mm on each side to footpaths and/or some more width to the parking bays), and

Marking the location between the tram lines with some road markings other than the normal cycle logo (as that defines a cycle lane which no other traffic can routinely use) so that all road users know that this is where cyclists are supposed to be.

The trams will cross the pedestrian area at the junction of High and Lichfield Sts in order to cross the intersection and gain the next section of High St.  This should also provide an opportunity to improve cycling access between these two sections of High St (currently linking them requires an awkward deviation via Manchester St).  Cyclists could simply use the same signals as the trams will use to cross the intersection, while other traffic is stopped.  We request that the project be amended to make provision for such improved access.  The pedestrian crosswalks at the Lichfield / Manchester intersection will also need to be adjusted to take account of the tram tracks and tram movements in the area.

Once again, thanks for the opportunity to provide comment on these projects.  We would like to be heard in support of our submission.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any queries or require further information.

Yours sincerely
Robin Delamore

Robin Delamore
Cycling Improvements convenor - Spokes