Cyclists sue Metrolink after coming off their bikes on tramlines

I'm glad that TfGM didn't make segregated cycling provision, because that would be stupid. Not as stupid as some of these tram line angles - Ashton Old Road near Snipe for instance being an absolute horror.

It is a pity that TfGM did not take the opportunity to provide proper segregated cycling provision alongside the large scale work on roads and junctions to accommodation the tram. We could have ended up with many lines of safe cycling routes for minimal additional cost. Instead, they have splashed a bit of white/green paint on the roads and put up some shared use signs. I don't think they regard cycling as a transport option - more of a lifestyle choice.

The cycle lane goes bwhind the tram stop, there is barely any signage and it is invariably hidden behind a row of parked cars. The tram tracks are at the worst possible angle for cycling across, wet or dry. It is easy to sneer and pontificate without direct experience but having ridden and damn near come off myself at that point, I sincerely hope this legal action succeeds as I have absolute sympathy with those less fortunate that I was. I have witneased cyxlists down at various points on that stretch of road, I no longer ride it and I am not a nervous cyclist or shrinking violet in my riding, it is the one piece of road in the whole of 40 years riding in many busy cities, I actively avoid. TfGM have made an absolute death trap of it not only the thoughtless/imbecillic/vindictive planning after voting down the congestion charge, of the tram lines zig zagging off and on the road, but the cycle lanes directly in the door zones of parking spaces, no sort of parking control or management placing bikes, parked cars and trams in direct competition for the same piece of space. To paraphrase a famous saying: cycle a mile on our pedals before getting so high and mighty about just dealing with them.

"Given this kind of move requires confidence and specific knowledge, likely to only be available to an experienced cyclist, and not the mass of riders I would have thought in the interests of safety it would be better to design decent infrastructure in the first place..."

I half agree. I have just arrived in Toronto and have been cycling the down-town area and its many tram-lined streets. It is scary at first but you just have to pay attention. The idea that I can just cycle in a straight line isn't possible, I would be off in an instant with my skinny road tyres. I have learned to plan ahead and cross all tramlines at an angle (me and 1,000 other cyclists I see everyday).

The city provides safer routes, on other non-tram roads, for any cyclist not wishing to travel on tram streets. But in general, the people of Toronto seem to pay attention and get on with it.

It helps that everyone here obeys the laws of the road, something car drivers and cyclists seem to forget all too often in the UK. Cars ALWAYS give way to pedestrians (it takes a bit of getting used to when walking around!).

Hopefully some better signage and common sense will help people cope with the small amount of tramlines in that area.

Seriously? It's a road with tram lines, open your eyes and get on with it.
Most cities in Europe have tram lines and I don't recall pathetic bleating about them.

You cannot legislate for common sense.

Clearly you cannot legislate for using brain before making judgemental comments online either...

The only safe way to ride over tramlines (and drainage covers and wet paint) is directly perpendicular and upright.

If you look at the photo above you'll see the tram lines cross the road at a VERY shallow angle - very easy for the wheel to drop in or tyre to lose grip. The only safe way to ride over those would be to take a perpendicular line over them which would mean making a sudden sharp turn from the left lane to the right. I can't imagine any following drivers would take too kindly to that...

Given this kind of move requires confidence and specific knowledge, likely to only be available to an experienced cyclist, and not the mass of riders I would have thought in the interests of safety it would be better to design decent infrastructure in the first place...

"......most European cities......" have trams in the centre of the road and cyclists only cross at right angles, mixing it at angles or even sharing space with trams is very different.
Used to live in Sheffield and can recall 2 nasty near miss incidents on roads where cyclists share with trams, due to the layout of the city these situations are hard to avoid. Currently in Melbourne, Aus, extensive tram network but hard pressed to think of any locations where cross tracks at low angles or mix it with trams. Wet tracks are still a problem though.

Seriously? It's a road with tram lines, open your eyes and get on with it.
Most cities in Europe have tram lines and I don't recall pathetic bleating about them.

You cannot legislate for common sense.

This beauty is in Withenshaw. You have to jump the tracks going round corner and it then takes you back over them slightly further down. Car drivers cant work out what lane they are in and its properly dangerous. I have to go a long way round after a couple of serious slides and a few near misses. Further on there is a massive pavement that ends up going up a tram platform. Its like a lunatic designed the layout

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4008037,-2.2945974,3a,90y,298.45h,57.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swNqIuOjAZ3fKH4tTS-g1jg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Looking at the stop on Streetview it's clear the cycle "infrastructure" is completely non-existent. There are a few blue shared footway signs here and there, but no clear way of getting on the pavement. There's even a big lovely bus stop that almost completely blocks one pavement, presumably cyclists are supposed to bunnyhop the waiting pedestrians.

I hope they win. If you modify a road such that certain vehicles cannot use it without risking their lives, then you should damn well build a new road that those vehicles CAN use.

they need to fit those rubber things in the gaps

https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/for-government-and-business/2877/