DEGAROUTE^® BASED ROAD MARKINGS

SEPTEMBER 2020

EDITORIAL 

DEAR READERS,

For a city to be worth living in these days, it needs to offer an infrastructure supportive of safe cycling. In many places, concerns over heavy traffic deter casual riders, children and older people from cycling in urban areas. There is a need to encourage more people to switch from cars to bicycles, especially with cycling becoming an attractive option for commuters in these times of climate change and carbon emissions. For the administrations of many cities around the world, planning and implementing a sound cycling infrastructure has emerged as an important issue. In our example, Izmir in Turkey has established a safe and convenient cycling environment for all residents and visitors to the city by constructing new cycle paths. It is believed that the move will signi cantly boost the cycling culture of the city.

This newsletter tells you more about the project and the role of DEGAROUTE^® in the initiative.

Ralf Lepper Head of Sales & Distribution EMEAI

Serkan Akoğlu General Manager Röhm Turkey

IZMIR’S MASTER PLAN FOR CYCLING

With more than four million inhabitants, Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey. The port city with a history spanning more than 3,000 years is not only a major trade hub and a center of higher education, agriculture and production, but also one of the most popular holiday destinations on the Turkish Aegean. Having started to upgrade its cycling infrastructure in 2017 while extending BISIM, the public bike-sharing system, to around 40 stations and 550 cyclists, Izmir is well on the way to becoming a city of cycling. Just recently, Izmir became the first Turkish city to join the European network of cycling routes known as EuroVelo, contributing a coastal section of EuroVelo 8 (the Mediterranean Route) which runs from Cádiz in Spain to Cyprus.

To mark the latest stretches of the new cycling infrastructure, hard-wearing road markings from DEGAROUTE^® with specially formulated anti-skid properties were chosen. The markings ensure the cycle routes can be navigated safely year round, in all weathers – even in wet and challenging road conditions, for example.

DURABLE, SLIP-PROOF AND COLOR-FAST: CYCLE PATH MARKINGS WITH COLD PLASTIC

When selecting a marking material for the new cycle paths, the city of Izmir set out to find a highly durable material that would retain its strong color and adhere well to existing asphalt and concrete surfaces. The ideal solution turned out to be DEGAROUTE^® 465 and 485, DEGAROUTE^®-based MMA road markings that conformed to the city’s performance requirements in every respect. Applied using a roller, the cycle path markings – blue surface markings and white side lines as well as letters and symbols – covered a total surface area of 150,000 square meters. The project was launched in 2018 and concluded late in 2019.

“We always aim to come up with creative and flawless solutions for our clients. For this project we were able to present a uniquely customized road marking system that left nothing to be desired – fast and simple application, good bonding, color stability and a long service life,” said Tibet Örs, Operational Manager at Kisan Group, the company commissioned to undertake the application. The responsible authorities for the city of Izmir now plan to use the new marking system in future applications.