What motivated you to take biking from the road below up the skies?
The reasons for proposing such an idea are simple:
1. I want to achieve a complete independence between car and bike stream in the zones where they intersect each other.
2. Kolelinia generates additional space in places where there is no room for bicycle-lanes.
3. I want to prove that it is possible to move on a higher level (4,5m max) with a minimum of resources on a weightless network. Of course absolutely safety :)
4. And finally just to provoke people to look on the transportation from another point of view, just like the sci-fi movies make us dream :)
What exactly is the advantage over riding your bike on the ground which does not need any resources either?
Of course this system doesn’t duplicate or replace the existing normal biking areas. This only helps for problematic, heavy traffic zones or places where is not possible to exist normal bicycle-lanes. This could be something like connection between existing bike-lanes.
What will make me use such a line?
I have to mention that the idea has to evolve naturally. Nobody will build such a network without a real need. But first we have to demonstrate that this system works in the real life. For that reason we have to follow some steps:
First, I have to make a team for realizing a basic hand-made prototype of the concept (15-20m long). Only this prototype will show the real problems.
Second, after we have already dealt with all the issues, we have to build something bigger, let’s say something for entertainment. A short touristic line in the city or an extreme sport line somewhere in the nature or a whole mountain-bike trail, for those who are looking for adrenaline.
If all prove that it is safe, the system will find its place for mass use naturally. Nobody will make you use it if you don’t want to :)
The pictures look like that the system only allows some standard handlebar width.
I think it is not a problem the safety device to be adjustable.
How we deal with the problem of overtaking?
For longer distances one of the solutions can be the proposal of Orlin Tenchev
The problem with the car emissions.
The cyclist doesn’t ride all the time over the traffic. He is above the cars only in the intersection zones, only for few seconds. Moreover on the normal pedestrian bridges over the heavy traffic the air is not so polluted as it is down near the car’s exhausts.
What does the word Kolelinia stand for?
The name of the competition I took part was „Line of Site” so I decided to name my project “Line of Bike”. A year later I decided to develop the project in further details and I also changed the name. The words “Bike” and “Line” were replaced by their Bulgarian equivalents “Kolelo” and “Linia”, which together makes – kolelinia.