These two items just came in together. From Tim Pawsey via Minds:
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What better way to use solar panels that as a shading mechanism? The South Korean government had a great idea and ran with it, building a 20 mile stretch of solar bikeway, from Daejeon to Sejong. The lane is protected from traffic on both sides and is in an area about 100 miles south of the capital of Seoul.
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From Ron Richings via Newser:.
Skyward growth: Chicago transforms abandoned elevated railway into pedestrian, bike corridor
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On an abandoned Chicago railway line cutting between the treetops, bike commuters zip by walkers and joggers, all traversing a ribbon of concrete undulating through a lush landscape where clattering freight cars once ferried everything from coal to furniture. …
Since opening in June, the nearly three-mile elevated path, called the Bloomingdale Trail, has changed how residents move through a section of Chicago’s northwest side that in many places is starved of parks and inviting pathways for pedestrians and bikes.
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Anything recent that we’ve missed?
The Korean solar bikeway looks very cool. Air and sound quality are probably not good in the highway median. Still a cool idea, especially if the space was readily available. Building the path off to one side of the highway would be better of course.
Agreed the solar panel covered bikeway is a great idea although the middle of a freeway is less than ideal. By placing the bike paths under SkyTrain guideways and covering the sections that can’t go under the guideway with solar panels, we would have a great covered bikeway system.