The tram tracks have always presented a danger for cyclists. Where cyclists and trams share the same roads, it is all too easy for cyclists to put their front wheel on the tracks, causing a crash.
It’s a problem that Ghent, in Belgium, knows well. In Ghent, trams and cyclists share many of the same roads, and 2021 statistics from the Ghent University Hospital show that around 500 people are hospitalized each year due to bicycle accidents caused by tram tracks.
Now, the city of Ghent is testing a new design for tram tracks, in which the dangerous cavity is filled with an elastic compound that prevents the bicycle wheels from locking.
Read more: How to ride in a city: Bike tips for busy streets
The technology was developed and installed by the Flemish regional transport operator De Lijn. After some successful initial experiments in test environments, it is tested in the streets of the city.
Filip Watteuw, Councilor for Mobility in Ghent, said he had tested the tracks himself, and was now eager to test them in the city.
“I was able to test the half-full tram tracks myself in the depot – it really makes a difference,” he said.
“It’s good that De Lijn can now try this ‘on the ground’. We have to do everything we can to make it safe for cyclists near the tram tracks.”
The filling is a two-part compound that is at a height so that it does not interfere with the wheels of the tram. This means that although the tram tracks will not be completely on the ground, it will be much easier to cross by bike without having the front wheel stuck.
Read more: How to lock your bike safely
talk to City todayA spokesperson for De Lijn said that this real-world test was intended to see how cyclists would cope with the new type of tracks, as well as to find out how durable the new track fill is:
“Two tests have already been carried out before this, but this is the first on the current operational network.
“Previously, we tested the effectiveness with a test audience in our depot, and another test was carried out at a different tram stop to assess the application and durability.
“This current test combines the aspects of the two previous tests in real-life conditions. We evaluate the test by comparing the images before and after the installation to provide an objective assessment of the cyclists’ behavior.”
If successful, it could make cycling in the city a little safer and more relaxing, both for the residents of Ghent and perhaps for other cities of the tram network around the world.
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