Helsinki company seeks cause of slippery bike paths after cyclist falls

Helsinki's municipal construction services, Stara, is still investigating the cause of unexpectedly slippery bike paths that led to multiple cyclist accidents in early June. Despite ongoing efforts, the exact reason for the hazardous conditions remains unclear.

The slipperiness affected several key cycling routes, including Hämeentie, Kustaa Vaasan tie, Koskelantie, Hermannin rantatie, and Sörnäisten rantatie. Initially, suspicion fell on a new dust-binding agent applied to the roads. This substance is designed to adhere dust to the road surface, but in this instance, it appeared to create dangerously slick conditions.

Stara has since ceased using the agent and has thoroughly washed the affected areas. However, investigations by the city and the supplier have failed to replicate the slipperiness under various conditions and concentrations, even when diluted according to manufacturer instructions. This has led to speculation that the agent may not have been the sole cause, or perhaps not the cause at all.

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Stara has not yet found out what caused the slipperiness of the bike paths at the beginning of June. The investigation is ongoing.

Adding to the complexity, the slipperiness was not uniform across the entire bike paths, appearing intermittently. This makes pinpointing a single cause more challenging. While Helsinki typically uses calcium chloride for dust control, a different, more environmentally friendly, formate-based agent was trialed in early June. This type of agent is commonly used for de-icing in winter and for dust binding in summer.

Following the incidents, Stara's CEO encouraged cyclists who fell and sustained injuries to contact the city's registry. The city has received a few compensation claims related to the slippery conditions, though the specifics of these claims are still under review.

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The city has received a few compensation claims regarding the matter.