Introduction: Single Bicycle Brashes (SBCs) are common, and underreported in official statistics. In urban environments, light rail tram tra
Introduction: Single Bicycle Brashes (SBCs) are common, and underreported in official statistics. In urban environments, light rail tram tracks are a frequent factor, however, they have not yet been the subject of engineering analysis. Method: This study employs video-based analysis at nine Dublin city centre locations and introduces a predictive model for crossing success on tram tracks, utilising cyclist crossing angles within a Surrogate Measure of Safety (SMoS) framework. Additionally, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) were explored for automatic estimation of crossing angles. Results: Modelling results indicate that cyclist crossing angle is a strong predictor of crossing success, and that cyclist velocity is not. Findings also highlight the prevalence of external factors which limit crossing angles for cyclists. In particular, kerbs are a common factor, along with passing/approaching vehicles or other cyclists. Furthermore, results indicate that further training on a relatively small sample of 100 domain-specific examples can achieve substantial accuracy improvements for cyclist detection (from 0.31AP0.5 to 0.98AP0.5) and crossing angle inference from traffic camera footage. Conclusions: Ensuring safe crossing angles is important for cyclist safety around tram tracks. Infrastructural planners should aim for intuitive, self-explainable road layouts that allow for and encourage crossing angles of 60° or more – ideally 90°. Practical Applications: The SMoS framework and the open-source SafeCross1 application offer actionable insights and tools for enhancing cyclist safety around tram tracks.
Lund University, Faculty of Engineering, LTH, Departments at LTH, Department of Technology and Society, Transport and Roads, Traffic Safety and Behaviour, Lunds universitet, Lunds Tekniska Högskola, Institutioner vid LTH, Institutionen för teknik och samhälle, Trafik och väg, Trafiksäkerhet och beteende, Originator, Lund University, Faculty of Engineering, LTH, Departments at LTH, Department of Technology and Society, Environmental and Energy Systems Studies, Lunds universitet, Lunds Tekniska Högskola, Institutioner vid LTH, Institutionen för teknik och samhälle, Miljö- och energisystem, Originator, Lund University, Faculty of Engineering, LTH, Departments at LTH, Department of Technology and Society, Transport and Roads, Lunds universitet, Lunds Tekniska Högskola, Institutioner vid LTH, Institutionen för teknik och samhälle, Trafik och väg, Originator, Lund University, Faculty of Engineering, LTH, Departments at LTH, Department of Technology and Society, Lunds universitet, Lunds Tekniska Högskola, Institutioner vid LTH, Institutionen för teknik och samhälle, Originator