Poland’s Amazing New Solar-Powered Bike Lane Glows All Night

Polish bikers have found an unprecedented incentive to keep riding their bikes. The soothing and magical rides through the night are about to get even more awestriking, courtesy to the new radiating solar powered bike lanes.

The Government have started the incentive in the Mazury region of Poland, in a bid to increase the safety of bike rides at night, and also to make this a more enjoyable experience.  The path uses a synthetic material phosphor that stores energy during the day and lights up during the night making the lanes glow bright blue and clearly visible to both biker and the driver.

Igor Ruttmar from TPA Instytut Badan Technicznych said,

“The material we used for the track gives light for over ten hours. That means the road can radiate throughout the whole night and reaccumulate light the following day.”

Phosphor has over the years been used in cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and plasma displays used in televisions. The material can sustain emission, which keeps them illuminated for longer periods of time. The phosphor used on the biking track has been produced by TPA laboratory in Pruszkow.

The concept first started in the Netherlands, but the two paths use very different technologies. The Van Gogh path in the Netherlands uses LED lights lightened up using solar charges, whereas the swirling effects were incorporated using light-collecting paint. See the “Starry Night” video below to understand the concept more clearly.

Since the lane in Poland doesn’t require any external power source, and it is still unclear as to how long the phosphor will last before losing its charge. But until it does, the concept will be stuck to by the authorities.

The viability and expansion of the project also depend on the cost of material. Since the new bike lane costs considerably more than traditional lanes, the longevity of the material will be the deciding factor in the fate of the track.

What are your thoughts on the shining biking tracks? Comment below!