Motorized Street Sweeper Aims to Clear Dedicated Bike Lanes
Bike Lane Sweeper
Spring has sprung, and along with it comes the promise of renewal and growth. But as the flowers bloom and the birds chirp, there's something else sprouting up on bike lanes across Canada and the US – the Bike Lane Sweeper.
Imagine a superhero on wheels, armed not with capes and masks, but with a trusty bike and a sweeping brush, ready to battle the gravel, broken glass, and metal bits that litter our beloved bike lanes. Meet Pierre Lermant, the mastermind behind this ingenious contraption, a data science pro and mechanical engineer from sunny California.
"I was just minding my own business, cruising through the Bay Area on my bike, when it hit me," Lermant says with a chuckle. "Wouldn't it be cool to have a sweeper attached to a bike? And boom, the Bike Lane Sweeper was born."
But Lermant's initial prototypes were far from the sleek machine we see today. Picture wooden planks and a chain-drive electric motor – it was a Frankenstein's monster of sorts. Then, enter Cedric Eveleigh, the Canadian mechanical maestro with a penchant for problem-solving.
"I was out there in the Great White North, sweeping bike lanes with a broom like a medieval knight," Eveleigh jokes. "That's when I thought, there's gotta be a better way. So, I reached out to Pierre, and the rest is history."
Together, Lermant and Eveleigh have cooked up not one but two versions of the Bike Lane Sweeper: one for rural roads, sweeping debris to the side like a courteous butler, and another for the urban jungle, collecting junk in a bin like a diligent janitor.
"These babies are powered by an ebike battery and controlled with a nifty remote," Lermant explains. "And they're as easy to handle as a hot knife through butter."
Now, these street-sweeping saviors are hitting the pavement for real-world testing, thanks to groups like Transportation Choices Sunshine Coast and cycling advocates in cities like Portland and Charlotte.
But the journey doesn't end there. Lermant and Eveleigh are exploring different ways to get their creation into the hands of those who need it most, whether selling to municipalities or offering sweeping as a service.
"Debris in bike lanes can be a real pain in the spokes," Eveleigh quips. "But with the Bike Lane Sweeper, we're sweeping away the obstacles and paving the way for safer, more enjoyable rides."
So, as the spring breeze whispers promises of new beginnings, remember – with the Bike Lane Sweeper, every pedal is a step towards a cleaner, greener future.
