Skip to main content

Evonik’s Degaroute boosts Medellin cycle path safety

Across Latin America, a region known for its chaotic driving and dense traffic jams, a growing number of commuters are doing the unthinkable - ditching their cars for bicycles City leaders and cycling advocates in Latin America have recently been focusing on the development of sustainable urban design that improves cyclist. Hundreds of kilometres of bike lanes are being laid out and cyclists are getting favourable loans to purchase bikes. There are even innovative bike-share systems. One city enhancin
January 25, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Degaroute helps Medellin increase cycle path safety
Across Latin America, a region known for its chaotic driving and dense traffic jams, a growing number of commuters are doing the unthinkable - ditching their cars for bicycles

City leaders and cycling advocates in Latin America have recently been focusing on the development of sustainable urban design that improves cyclist. Hundreds of kilometres of bike lanes are being laid out and cyclists are getting favourable loans to purchase bikes. There are even innovative bike-share systems.

One city enhancing its infrastructure to better cater to the safety of its biking community is Medellin, the second largest city in Colombia. Since 2004, Medellin has evolved to become an incredible role model for sustainable urban development, integrating various improvements to enhance its transportation facilities.

As part of the 15-year plan to improve and grow the biking facilities throughout Medellin, in March 2016, several bike lanes were restored and constructed in Medellin and its surrounding neighbourhoods of Laureles, San Juan and Palacé. Road marking has been done with 4009 Evonik’s 1659 Degaroute-based MMA road marking systems.

Applications include red area markings covering the entire bike lane, arrows, symbols, text, speed badges, as well as centre and edge lines.

To begin, the concrete and flexible asphalt surfaces were prepared by air blasting and sweeping and then priming the concrete sections of road. The Degaroute-based road markings were then manually applied using a trowel, covering around 11,000m2 which included all lines, arrows and area marking crossings along the bike lane installations throughout Medellin.

Repairs to the other bike facilities in the neighbouring areas included the installation of new cold plastic MMA line markings, red crossing sections and connections to the new bike lane.

Cold plastic MMA road markings can be applied in a wide variety of application areas and adjusts skid resistant properties when needed.

“Not only have we reduced accident rates, but we have also given the pedestrians the right to be included in the system and the chance to be protected,” said one city official. “Cold plastic MMA creates colourful environments, provides cyclists the opportunity to also be respected and, finally, outlasts traditional road markings with their above average life-cycle.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • San Francisco and Medellin win the 2012 Sustainable Transport Award
    March 15, 2012
    The US city of San Francisco, and Medellin, Colombia have been declared the winners of the 8th annual Sustainable Transport Award by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
  • Controlling influence
    January 3, 2013
    New lane control solutions from major roadmarking companies have been installed on highways across the world over recent months. Guy Woodford reports on some of them. Clearview Traffic Group (CTG) recently clocked up the installation of over 70,000 Astucia active flush and surface mounted road studs in the UK. CTG has been involved in numerous road stud installation projects on motorways and other road types in the UK and many other countries worldwide. Its UK installations include over 4,500 Astucia road s
  • Road markings - simple, effective guidance
    February 15, 2012
    Road markings as a simple yet extremely effective method of guiding motorists safely on the world's road. Patrick Smith reports. Road markings are as important as road signs and give information about the roads being travelled on and actions that drivers should or should not be taking. For example, in many instances white lines often tell motorists something about the road: longitudinal lines can warn of situations that require action such as turn right, left or do not cross. Transverse lines often mean giv
  • Safer with sharrows?
    September 30, 2020
    Do bike lanes make cyclists safer? Yes and no, says John Anderson, director of technology at Smart Design*