Cyclists directed into dangerous tram lines in Edinburgh's Princes Street

Cyclists campaigning against 'crazy death-trap' street planning in Edinburgh's Princes Street have discovered a section of cycle path that intersects with tram lines at an angle that could cause serious injury.

Although official advice to cyclists is to only cross tram lines at a 90 degree angle, the cycle path directs riders onto the tracks at a 40 degree angle, as illustrated in cycle campaigner Andy Arthur's photograph above.

TIE, the original company formed to build the tram system, said in a letter to a cyclist who had slipped over on a track: "The Edinburgh tramway crossings and junctions have been designed to ensure that cyclists are guided to cross the tracks at as near as possible to 90 degrees and no less than 60 degrees."

The photograph shows the painted cycle lane at the bottom of the Mound, on Princes Street, aligning to Hanover Street, which is part of the National Cycle Network.

Edinburgh Council also reinforce the 90 degree guidelines on their website.

As we reported at the weekend, the reopening of Princes Street has caused widespread confusion for cyclists, who feel that signage for cycle paths is misleading, forcing trams, buses and cycles to interact dangerously. Many city cyclists feel that tram lines are dangerous, because it's easy to catch a wheel in the gaps or to slip over in wet conditions.