Streetcar tracks involved in third of Toronto bike crashes

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Toronto is not exactly a bike friendly city, especially because of the streetcar tracks that snake their way across our local roadways. And according to a new study out of the University of British Columbia and Ryerson, about one third of Toronto cycling accidents involve TTC streetcar tracks.

This study looked at 276 crashes that sent cyclists to hospital between May 2008 and November 2009. The researchers found that 87 of these incidents were associated with streetcar tracks.

Unsurprisingly, 85 per cent of the streetcar-related accidents occurred when people got a tire stuck in the tracks, or flangeways. Other times, bike riders slipped on the tracks, mainly during wet weather conditions.

For cyclists, it's hard to avoid the streetcar tracks in Toronto. But dedicated bike lanes and better route infrastructure might make a difference.

Photo by wyliepoon via the theGentries Flickr pool.