I did see (can't recall where) a rather optimistic artist's impression of 2-way tram running plus a reasonable width shared path alongside for the Roseburn Path, which is rather wishful thinking given the actual width of the trackbed and clearance under bridges.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Tram latest
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Posted 10 years ago #
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Now, in advance of the city-centre roll out, a series of safety bulletins have been released.
Pitched at cyclists, motorists and pedestrians, council chiefs hope they will reduce the chances of serious mishaps or injury.
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Posted 10 years ago # -
91 feet (28 metres) for a tram for an *emergency* stop...the mind boggles.
So, logically and legally, the tram drivers will have to commence an emergency stop any time something in front of the tram is closer than 91 feet when they are doing 20mph? I can see that happening...
Posted 10 years ago # -
DfT gives average stopping distance for a car at 20mph as 12m.
Tram weighs 55 tonnes unladen, bus weighs 19 tonnes, average car 1.5 tonnes. Empty tram has 2.9x the kinetic energy of the bus and 36x that of a car.
Tram is 140 feet long, so can stop within 65% of it's own length. I don't think that's something either a car or a bus can do at that speed. The tram must actually have some pretty good braking power. It's just a lot bigger and heavier than everything we're used to.
I was surprised to find out that an HGV stopping distance at 20mph is less than that of a car, but then it has air brakes so I shouldn't be so surprised after all.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Didn't I read on here, they have some sort of EM brake which effectively clamps the tram to the rails?
Posted 10 years ago # -
The Tram will travel a lot slower on street than buses (& cars) in any case. In other cities, I've seen Trams only doing ~10mph on street. In that case, I imagine the stopping distance to be comparable to a bus.
Trams also have the advantage that their path is fully predictable.
You might think 10mph is slow, but bear in mind the Tram will not have to stop as often, and is prioritised at lights, so on average it should be every bit as quick as buses.
Posted 10 years ago # -
. In other cities, I've seen Trams only doing ~10mph on street.
You are forgetting that TiE...Posted 10 years ago # -
The Dublin trams seemed to go at a quick jogging speed through the busy bits.
Posted 10 years ago # -
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Craigie Watson (@craigie_watson)
18/02/2014 22:05
@LAHinds @VickiRedpath @EdinburghTrams Passing through Shandwick Pl. on a #31. Heard a bell. Looked up and saw tram moving at speed. #cool"
Whatever "at speed" means...
I do get the impression that CEC is assuming 20mph (or perhaps more) on the straight on-road sections.
We'll soon be able to see!!
Posted 10 years ago # -
I wonder what the stopping distance for a conventional train is at 20 mph? (Or indeed at 125 mph? That must be a long way...)
EDIT a bit of not very successful googling suggests about a mile to stop from 125mph in an emergency, in favourable conditions.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"I wonder what the stopping distance for a conventional train is at 20 mph?"
At least they don't tend to 'share' the same space as bikes and peds.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Posted 10 years ago #
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The assumption might be 20 mph, but when sharing with bicycles 10 mph is much more likely, unless they're planning to scare the cyclist into a sprint!
I do hope they take their stopping distance into account in the gap they leave. Whilst they might be able to assume that buses can't stop on a sixpence, cyclists can stop
deadwithin centimetres in an unplanned dismount.Robert
Posted 10 years ago # -
Similar thing - closer to home:
Just think, there was an actual working railway that went from central Edinburgh to Granton until the mid-1980's - now part of the NEPN. Much of this route was to become part of the tram network.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I remember driving through Weymouth in my youth (late 70's/early 80's) following that train through the town in the car. We were right behind the last coach: the memory is mainly of a pair of enormous coach buffers...
Posted 10 years ago # -
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It is understood that trams should be seen rolling down the Capital’s main thoroughfare by mid-afternoon.
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Posted 10 years ago # -
A tram has been spotted heading through Haymarket junction, so cyclists beware!!!
Posted 10 years ago # -
Coming through the Gyle at 5.30 tonight, the traffic was as usual queueing for the Gogar roundabout all along the dual carriageway. A couple of cars were stopped partly blocking the tram tracks when the tram was given the signal to proceed. Maybe they couldn't see the yellow hatchings in the dark & wet or maybe they didn't care.
The tram had to wait for another cycle of the lights before it moved - so a couple of minutes added to the journey time.
I wonder how regular an occurance this will be at rush hour?
Posted 10 years ago # -
"I wonder how regular an occurance this will be at rush hour?"
Need someone with a flag!
Posted 10 years ago # -
Posted 10 years ago #
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@Hankcheif very, very, very regular, if my observation of the usual standard of observation of yellow boxes is anything to go by....
What they will need to do is put cameras on. There's a camera in London that has taken some large amount on money in fines because people are incapable of not driving into a yellow box if they can't see that the exit is clear... but I'm not sure if cameras for yellow boxes are London only.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Am I detecting a swing towards the trams now? In the sense of cars being seen as getting in their way needing to be fined etc? I must find out what the thin white duke thinks of the trams
Posted 10 years ago # -
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TRAM bosses have issued a call to arms as they seek 1000 volunteers to become the first passengers and test out the new stop at Murrayfield.
The rallying cry comes as the platform is put through its paces before the world’s biggest boyband, One Direction, plays to more than 60,000 screaming fans.
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Posted 10 years ago # -
We had a leaflet about this at work. I put my name down for what it's worth. A day out the office and a first-hand chance to form my opinions about the dreaded T-word.
Saw them last night and this morning at Edinburgh Park. I'm getting very close to actually having something worth looking for when I cross the tracks.
Posted 10 years ago # -
The trams are now just another regular feature of my commute in from the west. I've had to give way to them often enough now that they have been officially added to my list of 'things that are trying to kill me'.
Posted 10 years ago # -
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Footage has been released of the driver’s view from the front of an Edinburgh tram, giving us the first idea of how it might feel to ride the tram along Princes street.
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Posted 10 years ago # -
I actually found myself wincing at the point where the tram drives along the pinch point at Waverley Bridge. That layout has the cycling spidey-sense ringing a very loud warning bell. Something nasty is going to happen there, for certain.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I saw a tram at night lastnight while cycling to Edinburgh Park station. We crossed the lines outside The Gyle Shopping centre and saw it approaching after we'd crossed. I didn then wonder if I'd cycled through a stop light, as I don't recall seeing anything, but cars were over taking us at the rime as we were trying to cross to the right to turn right at the roundabout so I'm satsified that we were safe.
Posted 10 years ago #
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