Enthusiastic cyclists and the citizens of Poland experienced a surprise last week when they received a unique, spectacular gift from the local authorities – a brand‑new bike lane that glows bright blue at night.
The bike lane quickly became a tourist attraction, due to the bright blue it emits in the darkness.
The path near Lidzbark Warminski in the Mazury region is illuminated by a blue photophore, a synthetic material that emits light after being exposed to sunlight. Cyclists and Polish pedestrians line up to get a taste of the new bike lane that evokes a strange kind of romance in the light of the moon or even in the dark.
It was created by the construction company TPA Instytut Badan Technicznych in Pruszkow and is still in the testing phase. The company chose the city of Olsztyn in Poland's Masurian Lakes Region to test it, partly because the landscape created an attractive environment.
«The glow it emits is a very nice complement to the beautiful nature of the area with the lakes, the small hills and the countryside». The officials added: «At this moment, it is only about 100 meters»
While the photoluminescent devices can emit a variety of colors, the engineers chose the blue color for the road, as they considered it would match the surrounding landscape.
The president of the TRA, Ruttmar told the Polish Gazeta Wyborcza that the material used on the bike path can emit light for more than 10 hours, which means it can shine all night and recharges the next day as it absorbs the sun's rays.
Waldemar Krolikowski, director of the Regional Roads Board in Olsztyn, said the project aims to improve the safety of people cycling at night. They are also investigating the sustainability of the materials used and how they can be made more affordable, given that the fluorescent bike path costs more than traditional ones. They hope that the environmentally friendly bike path will help prevent accidents, without the city having to resort to installing expensive electric poles on the road.
While the Starry Night route in the Netherlands provided the inspiration, the technology used in the Polish bike lane is quite different. The Dutch route is powered by solar LED energy, whereas the Polish one does not require additional power supply.
