A glow in the dark section has been proposed for a new Irish greenway, with those pushing for the idea convinced it could be a major tourism draw for the south east.
The plan is being proposed for a section of the New Ross to Waterford Greenway and has been put forward by
WexBUG, the cycling advocacy group in Wexford.
The group’s chairman, Phil Skelton, is well known in the Irish cycling community having successfully campaigned for the safe passing distance legislation introduce in 2019.
He said he came across the idea of a glow in the dark section for the greenway when he read about a cyclepath in Lidzbark, Warmiński, in northern Poland (video below) using the same surface.
“It’s solar powered and it takes
in sunlight during the day and then emits light at night, giving off a fluorescent
glow,” Skelton said.
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“I think it’s important that we
try to make the New Ross to Waterford Greenway really stand out. A lot more
greenways are being built and it would be nice to have something unique to
offer.”
The bike path in Poland contains a synthetic material
called phosphor. It can absorb sunlight by day and then emit fluorescent light
for 10 hours in the dark.
WexBUG has launched its campaign to have a section of the new greenway constructed with the material by creating an online petition and going public with its idea in the Wexford People newspaper.
You can read the petition and sign it by following this link.
WexBUG believes the glow in the dark section of greenway
could be used in Fáilte Ireland promotional videos for the region, adding it
would look especially good in drone footage.
The 23km New Ross to Waterford greenway was expected to
cost about €16 million. Works have already gotten underway to lift the railway
line so the greenway can be installed ahead of a planned opening late next
year.
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