An invention from the United States might help solve the grubby problem of debris in the bike lane.
With so much construction underway around the city and suburbs, bike lanes seem to accumulate an ever-increasing collection of gravel, stone and rock. Add broken broken glass and other rubbish to the list.
Separated bike lanes can mean there is less opportunity for rain to wash debris into gutters. And though there are diesel or electric-powered footpath sweepers on the market, they are expensive and cumbersome to operate on bike infrastructure.
Californian inventor Pierre Lermant has developed working prototypes of compact, simple sweepers that can be towed behind a bike.
One sweeper is powered by an electric motor, which flips the debris into a bin.
An even simpler version sweeps the debris to the side of the road.
Many of the parts can be obtained from hardware stores.
The prototypes are being trialled by the City of Portland, Oregon.
The sweepers require little energy to tow at the required speeds of 8km/h to 13km/h.
Sign up to receive more information here.
Become our friend
Find out more about Bicycle Network and support us in making it easier for people to ride bikes.