glowing road
Chloe Crawford
Chloe Crawford
December 2, 2023 ·  3 min read

Poland Has An Eco-Friendly, Solar-Powered Bicycle Lane That Glows In The Dark

If you’re a cyclist, it would make sense for you to seek out the most beautiful trails around. Most of the time, these trails are pretty close to home. But there are cyclists from around the world who enjoy bringing their bikes along when they travel. If this is you, get ready to see the most beautiful (and bright) bicycle lanes you’ve ever seen. This solar-powered bike lane will impress!

In 2016, Poland introduced a new glow in the dark bike lane, and people are going nuts for it.

Image source: Gazeta Olsztynska/ mat. prasowe 

I mean, why wouldn’t they? It’s spectacular. Of course, I don’t know where you live and what the bicycle scene is like, but I have never seen a bicycle lane I want to take a ride down more than this one.

The Solar-Powred Bike Lane Technology

TPA sp.zoo is the company responsible for the technology needed to make this stunning path possible. It is situated in northern Poland, right outside of Lidzbark Warminski.

The company uses ‘luminophores,’ synthetic particles, that charge during the day as they bask in the sun. As the sun sets, the glow-in-the-dark solar-powered bike lane reveals a blue light emitting from the luminophores.

“The material from which we created the bicycle path is able to give light for more than 10 hours. This means that the path emits light energy all night long and accumulates it again the next day. Importantly, the effect is due only to the properties of the aggregate used, without the need to support it with additional energy sources. For the construction of the path near Lidzbark Warmiński, we chose blue luminophores to keep it consistent with the Masurian landscape,” shares TPA sp. zoo’s president, Dr. Igor Ruttmar  [5].

The Inspiration 

Surprisingly, this idea of a solar-powered bike lane actually didn’t originate in Poland. In fact, it’s inspired by a Dutch designer, Daan Roosegaarde, who installed a cycle path in the United Kingdom. The path, much like the one in Poland, resembles the late artist Vincent Van Gogh, most famous piece, Starry Night [1].

Although this might be true, the Provincial Roads Authority director, Waldemar Królikowski, shares that the two designs are actually quite different in terms of technology.

“A similar path already exists, for example, in the Netherlands. Honestly, it was an inspiration for us to implement a similar investment in Poland. However, our technology is different, and, unlike the Dutch solution, it does not require any additional power supply. The implementation of such a path is part of the current campaign to improve safety,” Królikowski explains [6].

Additionally, Poland is monitoring how the installation does in different weather conditions. For example, rain, snow, and extreme sunlight [5]. This is the first step to see if other installations are possible. Would you like something like this installed where you live?

Keep Reading: Nonprofit Organization Built Homeless Veterans Village of Tiny Homes Instead Of Leaving Them Homeless

Sources:

  1. “Is this the world’s most beautiful cycle lane?” Telegraph. Hannah Meltzer. October 2016.
  2. “A sun-powered bicycle path glows in the dark in Poland.” Sustainability. Daniel T Cross. April 15, 2019.
  3. “The Great Masurian Lakes.” Lonely Planet
  4. “Welcome to Hel Peninsula.” Lonely Planet
  5. “Pierwsza w Polsce świecąca ścieżka rowerowa powstała pod Lidzbarkiem Warmińskim! [FILM].” Gazetaolsztynska.