TPA Sp. z o.o, a European construction company, has recently installed a bicycle path in Olsztyn, Poland. But it's not just any bicycle path that you usually see. It glows in the dark and is charged by solar power during the day.
A new bike path with a twist
The new bike path is located near Lidzbark Warminski. The path glows a bright blue color at night with the presence of the luminophore particles in the asphalt. The particles are actually made of synthetic material that lights up when it is dark. The glowing bike path is also unlikely to go out soon because it is powered by solar energy so it charges itself during the day and lights up a magnificent blue color at night.
Igor Ruttmar, president of TPA Sp. z o.o said that the luminophore particles are able to light up for as long as 10 hours. The particles are also available in many colors but the designers of the path picked the blue color to blend in well with the surrounding landscape of the Lyna River, small hills and the rugged feel of the countryside. Olsztyn director Waldermar Królikowski emphasized that the bike path's design is to improve the safety of people who spends their night biking.
An innovation to avoid accidents
Poland's bike path looks similar to Studio Roosegaarde's glowing path in the U.K. Both paths are inspired by the famous Starry Night painting of Van Gogh, but Roosegaarde's path was designed with LEDs using a solar array for power. The bike lane designed by TPA Sp. z o.o does not need any other power source except the sun, which is readily available.
Ruttmar also explained that they made the glowing bicycle path to help prevent accidents between pedestrians and cycles, which is very common especially at night. He added that accidents are a major problem especially for rural areas that tend to be darker than the city.
The path opened publicly last Sept. 23 and is about 100 meters long. Ruttmar is still testing how the bike path would endure in the winter before he starts the plans of extending it in the future.
