Colas presents Flowell for interactive, illuminated crosswalks
Colas’ Flowell pedestrian crossing has received official certification from the French Ministry of Transport, opening the way for its commercial release. A product of Colas' innovative efforts and trialed at 18 sites since 2019, Flowell is an interactive illuminated marking system designed to enhance user safety within public spaces. Notably, Flowell is the first dynamic horizontal signaling device authorized by French regulators.
By lighting up when pedestrians cross the crosswalk, the Flowell solution improves compliance with safety rules, provides user greater comfort, and helps local authorities enhance security within public spaces, both day and night.
Colas has pursued an innovative approach for this solution, combining cutting-edge technologies with meticulous analysis of behavioral studies.
These comprehensive studies were conducted across pilot sites around the world, effectively capturing a wide range of contexts. The results have consistently demonstrated that Flowell's active signaling significantly improves compliance with traffic laws about priority, fostering calmer behavior for all users. Notably, all evaluated trial sites have shown a significant increase in adherence to pedestrian priority.
For instance, in the town of Mandelieu-la-Napoule in the south of France, Flowell is being used to direct pedestrians towards the crosswalks. In Paris, a remarkable improvement in vehicle compliance with pedestrian priority has been observed, with rates soaring from 67% to an impressive 94%.
The accuracy of these measurements was ensured through a meticulous protocol co-designed and validated by Cerema. The results obtained from each trial site have been effectively communicated to the proper authorities. The certification of Flowell by the French government in April 2023 further underscores its efficacy in mitigating risks.
"Flowell allows for heightened awareness and calmer behaviors among users, which in turn helps improve their own safety as well as the overall safety of communities and cities, where shared spaces are more effectively managed", explains Flowell Director, Etienne Gaudin.
Aximum, a Colas company, will oversee the installation and commercialization of the Flowell solution in France. This remarkable product helps improve the user-environment relationship and is commercialized in packages starting at €25,000, which includes installation.
Furthermore, Flowell is currently undergoing experimentation for additional applications, such as securing cyclist crossings, guiding pedestrian flows, and optimizing public spaces, including parking areas, among other potential uses.
