Mr Stewart wants the crossover fixed between the Wendouree Parade bicycle lane and the historic tram tracks, as it has been the site of numerous cycling accidents.

His shoulder was badly injured on May 6 when his bike slipped on the wet tracks where they cross the bike lane near the Lake Wendouree Adventure Playground.

He had to have x-rays and remedial treatment after the accident and was also forced to take a week off his agricultural chemicals business.

“It is reasonable to expect that a locally popular and tourist focused, designated bicycle lane is safe from insidious risk,” he said.

“Developing a textured surfacing procedure or even a temporary cover during periods that the trams are not operating could go a long way to making them safer to cyclists.”

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Mr Stewart said cyclists weren’t opposed to Ballarat’s historic trams and their tracks but rather just wanted a solution to the problem.

“Anecdotally, most accidents occur as a result of bicycle tyres slipping on the smooth metal surface of the tram tracks as opposed to the wheel falling into the groove of the tram track.

“The council has responded to past incidents by sandblasting the tram tracks, however serious injuries continue to happen.”

Ballarat City Council has spent $15,000 trying to solve the problem, with Ballarat Bicycle Users Group chairman John Barnes saying last year one rider was injured at the site every three weeks.

Ballarat GP Philip Dover, knocked unconscious and seriously injured after falling off his bike at the site in March last year, said it had the potential to cause severe brain damage.

Mr Stewart also said anecdotally the number of serious injuries at the location was far greater than indicated by police reports alone, pointing to a survey run in The Courier last year which showed 43 out of the 358 surveyed had been involved in a cycling accident there.

Ballarat City Council said it began a program of sandblasting treatments to the tram tracks last year, which now occurs three times a year.

“The most recent sandblasting was done on May 9, with a heavier sand used to further increase traction,” a spokesperson said.

Although done to reduce risk at the site, cyclists still need to approach the intersection with due caution, especially during frosty or wet conditions.

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