Cross City Luas cyclist fears may be fixed with rubber strips

Dangers to cyclists posed by Dublin’s Cross City Luas line might be avoided if the tram builders agree to fit rubber linings to the tracks at critical junctions, cycling advocates have warned.

The change would help to cut the risks faced in Edinburgh, where one woman was killed and many other cyclists injured after the wheels of their bicycles became stuck in the grooves of a new tramline.

The warning of the Scottish experience comes after a draft report from the National Transport Authority (NTA) revealed the authority’s own concern about the risks that will be faced.

Busy junctions may become no-go areas for cyclists because of “pinch points” and acute crossing angles over tracks where cyclists are in danger of getting wheels caught, it warned.

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Colm Ryder, chairman of the advocacy group cyclist.ie and secretary of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, has called on Luas builders to drop their opposition to the rubber strips.

The Luas team had considered fitting the strips along the length of the line, but rejected the idea because they would need constant renewal and would be too expensive.

Key junctions

However, Mr Ryder and others argue for more limited use of the strips at key junctions, where the passing trams would be strong enough to compress the rubber.

Cyclists crossing the line would not, however, be heavy enough to compress the rubber so they would be able safely to cross the lines, cycling lobby groups argue.

This plan is supported by chairman of Dublin City Council’s Strategic Transportation Committee Ciarán Cuffe, who said the Edinburgh experience meant that some action must be taken.

The draft NTA report, published by The Irish Times on Monday, notes ongoing difficulty with some junctions including St Stephen’s Green and Dawson Street; Dawson Street, Nassau Street and Lower Grafton Street; Dominick Street and Parnell Street; parts of Parnell Street, Cavandish Row and O’Connell Street; and Marlborough Street and Abbey Street.

Attempts to secure a comment from the Luas Cross City Project press office or Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) were not successful.