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After two fatal accidents this year in the notorious Schlyfi-short, the city of Zurich is responding with a special measure.
Protection against impacts and yellow light stripes: the measurements on the Schlyfi are clearly visible.
Photo: Reporter reader 20min.ch.
On Witikonerstrasse in Zurich, it looks like a ski slope without snow. The masts of the VBZ buses power lines and the lamppost are framed with orange doors. In the middle is a yellow barrier tape on orange posts. The trigger for these measures were two fatal bicycle accidents that occurred at this time in 2020.
The first accident happened in spring. As announced by the Zurich city police at the time, a man arrived in the city on April 8 via Witikonerstrasse. He fell into the Schlyfi area and then hit a flashlight on the right side of the road. The man died at the scene of the accident. The second fatal accident occurred a few months later. A 62-year-old cyclist was also heading into town on Witikonerstrasse on September 14. He also fell in the Schlyfi area and suffered fatal injuries.
As the service department of the City of Zurich Traffic Department explained to 20min.ch, in response to the two accidents, new barriers and impact protection were installed as on the ski slopes. Also, the curbs have already been chamfered by the civil engineering department, says spokesperson Heiko Ciceri. “These measures are designed to ensure that cyclists who fall are not injured by the chandeliers.” According to Ciceri, this is the only place in Zurich where such a measure has been taken.
The measures are well received by the association Pro Velo Zurich. “That makes sense because serious accidents happen there over and over again,” says President Res Marti. The place is very dangerous because the road is steep and cyclists often underestimate the curve.
