A finalist in The Hague Innovator Contest, SafeRails is a cheap way to retrofit streetcar tracks to encourage safer city cycling. Designed by engineering students in the Netherlands Ward Kuiters and Roderick Buijs, the concept prevents bike tires from getting stuck in tracks for light rail vehicles.
Created to diminish the risk of collisions, the simple solution protects urban cyclists and improves the flow of traffic. Currently in development, the city cycling product is supposed to be "implemented in existing tramrails' gutters." Its elastic and geometric design supports a parallel bicycle wheel while also being able to compress to allow for passing streetcars. A prototype of SafeRails exists, but future changes could be made before the invention enters into production.
Track-Retrofitting Cycling Solutions
SafeRails Makes City Cycling Safer By Preventing Accidents
Trend Themes
1. City Cycling Safety - SafeRails is innovating a cheap way to retrofit city cycling infrastructure for better safety and traffic flow.
2. Infrastructure Retrofitting - SafeRails is a prototype that could lead to demand for retrofitting of other city infrastructures to improve citizen safety and comfort.
3. Student-led Engineering - Engineering students like Ward Kuiters and Roderick Buijs are using their innovative capacity to problem solve issues of urban transportation and infrastructure through creative solutions like SafeRails.
Industry Implications
1. Urban Cycling - SafeRails aims to promote urban cycling, and there may be opportunities for other companies to innovate and provide products that cater to the needs of this growing industry.
2. Transportation Infrastructure - SafeRails may set a precedent for more attention and innovation in retrofitting specialized city infrastructure to fit the needs of diverse types of transportation users.
3. Student-led Entrepreneurship - Engineering students like Ward Kuiters and Roderick Buijs are demonstrating how they can contribute to technological innovation and entrepreneurship, potentially revolutionizing the way innovation and design happens in the future.