Luminescent paths for cyclists and pedestrians

The Polish town of Lidzbark Warminski has inaugurated a for pedestrians and cyclists whose pavement glows at night, combining sustainable mobility with energy efficiency. The road is being paved with blue phosphors that absorb sunlight during the day and are capable of releasing it at night for a period of 10 hours.

The type of light created is softer for the human eye and for nature, and makes the silhouette of pedestrians and cyclists more visible to drivers on the parallel road, road safety being a focus of concern in rural areas Polish. The technology that makes it possible was designed by TPA Instytut Badan Technicznych, flooring materials development center, and installed by Strabag. The inspiration came from the Van Gogh-Roosegaarde, a similar cycle path opened in 2014 in the Dutch town of Nuenen. The main difference from the Polish project is that an exclusive pedestrian path has been added.

The Dutch Cycle Path, designed by Daan Roosegaarde, is part of a cultural route that runs through highlights of Vincent van Gogh’s life between Nuenen and Eindhoven, so the lights on the pavement form waves reminiscent of “Starry Night” , one of the painter’s best-known paintings: