LuminoKrom® marking, 2 km of cycle path in Pessac
Since September 2018, cyclists from Pessac (33) in the Region of New Aquitaine (France) can ride on a track of two kilometers visible at night.
Photoluminescent marking on Pessac's first bicycle path
The start-up OliKrom in partnership with the group Eiffage has designed a strip of photoluminescent paint, which stores the daylight and then re-emits it at night. The goal is to make the roads more secure.
The two kilometers of cycle track that cross an undergrowth in the district of Saige, turn into a path light after dark.
LuminoKrom® paint contains minerals that absorb sunlight and restore it naturally at night. This photoluminescent effect lasts more than ten hours, enough to be efficient all night long.
Illuminated markings, a look back from this historical project
The feedback from the applicator is more than positive:
- no difference with a classic road painting,
- same viscosity,
- same behavior,
- no difficulty of rehomogenization,
- perfect application of the marking
LuminoKrom® paint is deposited with airless equipment
Luminous markings, positive feedbacks from users and elected officials
Marie, who cycles every day on the track to go to work is enthusiastic: "It's amazing to see this white band in the middle that lights up at night. We don’t even need lights on our bikes"
"It's fabulous" responded the mayor of Pessac (33, FR), Franck Raynal. This bike path of Pessac was not chosen at random. Much of the track crosses the forest, which is a very dark area.
‘Some people had stopped using it, and residents were demanding street lights, but they would have been costly. It was an ideal place to test a cheaper solution. To install lighting along this cycle track, we would have had to dig trenches, damage the tree roots, and set up low-height lampposts,’ explained Eric Martin, deputy mayor of Pessac. ‘In France, Pessac was also the first district of more than 50,000 inhabitants to try switching off the street lights at night.’
The price per liter is of course higher, but it can not be compared with a simple white paint!
