Sheffield Council have drawn up plans for a road safety scheme at Hillsborough tram stop on Langsett Road.
This is a potentially large scale work which will involve changing the road alignment, moving a tram platform and creating a two stage pedestrian crossing with an island in the middle.
We have seen the brief and there is no mention of cyclist tram track accidents at this location or how this stretch of road could be improved for cyclists.
Based on the tram track accident reports we have received this is the 6th worst accident hot spot in Sheffield. We have received reports of 15 cycle accidents along a 150 metre stretch of road by the Hillsborough tram stop within the last 2 years. 13 of these accidents resulted in injury and 4 of these resulted in broken bones. The transport planners at Sheffield Council are aware of this because this data is shared with them.
We have written to Councillor Iqbal (cabinet member for transport), Tom Finnegan-Smith (head of transport and strategic infrastructure) and Councillor Steve Wilson (councillor cycle champion) to request that the scheme is reviewed with a view to improving cyclist safety in this area. We have also requested that in future any accident safety schemes on roads with tram tracks take into account the accident data that CycleSheffield shares with Sheffield City Council.
More information on the proposed road safety scheme can be seen here.
Yep, broke my elbow there in 2009….