This image was taken right before the tram station, with no context at all. There is so much space wasted to allow the passengers to safely get off the tram without getting hit by cars (see 3rd picture to see how people get of the tram). This is done because they cannot move the buildings.
In the 2nd picture you can see how the tram continues and how the tram lines move together to allow for a |CAR|TRAM|TRAM|CAR| street.
> It also doesn't look like a comfortable place for bikes.
It is not, you drive in the middle of the street there to prevent cars from dangerously overtaking you.
> Cars and trams separated in one direction, but not in the other
Its only for a very short section
> I guess it's okay for pedestrians.
Sometimes you are faster walking up there than cars drive.
Another issue for cyclists is the permanent danger of getting your wheels in the rails, which means you are likely to either come to a sudden stop or, worse, come off your bike. There were experiments with "self-sealing" tram tracks that would lessen these risks, but no real solution exists quite yet, as far as I am aware.
It's an anomaly on that street. The older building on the left edge of the picture protrudes further in than its neighbors, so at that spot, you could not fit two tram rails, two lanes of traffic, and reasonable sidewalks.
So instead, for a few meters, cars and trams share a lane, the sidewalks get wider, and pedestrians don't have to cross a lane to get into the tram.
You can see side by side pictures here: https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/ted/de/index/taz/bauen/universi... (the new layout is very recent, and not yet visible on any satellite maps).
[0] https://www.google.com/maps/@47.3838561,8.5483138,3a,75y,188...
Also, if the tram stops cars, then cars also stop the tram, which means delays when car traffic is stuck.
Almost everywhere platforms in Zurich, but with very few exceptions.
> Also, if the tram stops cars, then cars also stop the tram, which means delays when car traffic is stuck.
Trams in Zurich steer the traffic lights (TF) => when a tram nears an intersection the TF will switch to let it pass and when it nears a section of road which is shared with cars that occupy it, the TF in front of the cars will let cars in front of the tram pass to free that section of street / lane so that the tram can pass as well.
And if you pay attention to the car in the distance, you see that trams and cars are mixed in that direction; they're only separated in the direction away from the camera. Separating trams and cars completely might do traffic a lot of good here.
So it's not entirely clear to me what this street is supposed to be a good example of. Cars and trams separated in one direction, but not in the other (admittedly much less busy direction, at least at this moment). No space for bikes. It's not as punitive for cars as the article suggests, nor as great for trams as the article suggests. I guess it's okay for pedestrians.
The message of the article is certainly good: when it's crowded you need to invest in more efficient forms of transportation than cars. But that top photo is a poor example of that.