Re:First Solar Bike Path in Germany Is Now Live
by dzogchen on Friday May 19, 2023 @08:37AM
(#36001144)
> Which leads to another question: how many sparse industrial zones in Germany actually have bike 4m wide bike paths?
The answer is: no where.
You are spot on and this is just a gimmick.
Re:First Solar Bike Path in Germany Is Now Live
by tbe-stream on Friday May 19, 2023 @09:15AM
(#36001546)
I had to chuckle at the huge surface parking lot right next to it.
Re:First Solar Bike Path in Germany Is Now Live
by avereveard on Friday May 19, 2023 @08:52AM
(#36001301)
It's because this project has a completely different use case with very different requirement:
Design with almost no actual research budget
Buildable with contractors and off the shelf components
Aligned with local research grants
Apart from the fact that this prototype is very ugly, some limitations come to mind.
- Maintenance without blocking the bike lane. Does this require a separate access road?
- Will this work when any trees are nearby? Falling branches are likely to cause damage and block the sun.
- How does this work when buildings are nearby? You will block all the light? I'm having trouble imaging how this will look good in a more dense area - not the mention the extra width required on the sides of the bike path will be hard to get where space is at a premium (cities).
All this seems to point to a rather limited use case: bike lanes in places with few buildings and few trees, and sufficient spacing around the structure to facilitate maintenance access. That presumably means: in sparse industrial zones near edges of cities (as pictured, I suppose).
Which leads to another question: how many sparse industrial zones in Germany actually have bike 4m wide bike paths?