Konya Bicycle Tram

1087
5 min to read

About the city. There is a cycling culture settled in Konya, which has 550 kilometres (341.7-mile) network of bicycle lanes, one of the longest in the country. The local municipality converted an old tram into a “bicycle tram” as part of a project to promote bicycle use.

Goal

The aim of the project is to increase the share of bicycle use in urban transportation and to make it more convenient for bicycle riders.

Implementation period. The tram service started on September 3, 2020.

Fact

The Alaaddin Hill-Selçuk University tram line, which is the longest tram line in Konya, is a 21-kilometre long rail system line.
All of the 72 trams used in Konya city are 100% low floor and the station level and the tram ground level are in line.

Solutions

The Konya Metropolitan municipality has converted one of the old trams that served the residents of Konya from 1992 to 2015 in urban transport into a Bicycle tram. In some countries, trams used by passengers can be taken by Bicycle, while the Bicycle tram, which is offered exclusively to cyclists, distinguishes Konya from others in this respect.

The Konya Metropolitan Municipality has made some changes to turn the tram into a Bicycle tram. In this regard, the double seats of the old tram were removed, and bicycle attachment devices were installed in their places. The apparatuses, which can safely transport 21 bicycles in a tram at a time, are designed to be used without human touch. Foldable hydraulic ramps were installed on the tram steps, working synchronously with the doors. This way, citizens can easily get on and off the tram at stations with their bicycles. The tram, which will run along the tram line of Alaaddin-Selçuk University, will pick up passengers and unload them at stops connected by bicycle paths.

Challenges

The biggest problem with turning the old tram into a bicycle tram was the presence of steps on the tram doors. It would be very tiring for a cyclist to lift their bike, climb the steps and get on the tram. Considering older cyclists, it was necessary to find a practical solution that makes it easier to get on the tram. To solve this problem, engineers from Konya Metropolitan Municipality’s Transportation Planning and Rail System Department developed a folding hydraulic ramp for the steps. This ramp will stand in the folded position when the doors are closed and will open and close synchronously with the door. One to two seconds after opening the door, a hydraulic ramp opens from the tram floor to the station floor, allowing cyclists to easily board the tram with their bicycles.