COLAS (EPA:RE) - PR Colas - Flowell Paris 15

Transparency directive : regulatory news

05/11/2021 17:30

Press Release
Friday, November 5, 2021

Paris' 15th arrondissement and Colas report positive feedback for the
innovative Flowell solution

In the 15th arrondissement of Paris, the initial results from a trial involving
Flowell, an active light-emitting road marking solution, show that user safety
has improved on the high-traffic section of crosswalk where it was installed.
Overall, driver behavior has improved and pedestrians feel safer.

Better user safety
Comprised of panels with LEDs encapsulated in a substrate that are then glued
to the roadway, the solution has been installed on a dangerous crosswalk over
an access ramp to the Paris ring road at the Porte de Sèvres.

Since the trial began, 94% of vehicles have yielded to allow pedestrians to
cross, a 27-point increase compared to figures prior to the installation of
Flowell. And 55% of those vehicles stop at least 2 meters before the crosswalk,
also an increase of 27 points.

As for the pedestrians themselves, 87% said they felt safe or safer when
crossing thanks to Flowell, compared to 59% before the trial. And people with
disabilities reported that it felt safer to have a clearer delimitation of the
crossing area and increased vigilance thanks to the light-emitting stripes.

These results are based on quantitative and qualitative studies carried out by
independent private companies, analyzed with Cerema (Centre d'études et
d'expertise sur les risques, l'environnement, la mobilité et l'aménagement).

The 15th arrondissement and Colas: a joint project
The Porte de Sèvres trial is part of a more global approach to prepare for
Flowell to fit with current regulations, prior to commercialization. The aim of
these experiments is to test Flowell in different environments (rural roads,
towns, complex intersections in big cities), to propose a made to measure
solution that improves user safety and better city living.

Flowell is an innovative solution developed by Colas in partnership with CEA
Tech. It is based on an upgradeable light-emitting signaling system that is
easy to install and can bear all types of traffic, making it possible to adapt
streets and roads for every type of mobility at any moment.

This project was three years in the making, and was co-financed by the 15th
arrondissement and Colas. It is testing one of the most complex Parisian
intersections in terms of traffic management, sharing of public space and
safety.

"The 15th arrondissement is open to experiments that help make for better city
living for the people who work there and the people who live there. We hope
that this first trial with Flowell will reinforce the impact of traffic lights
to help improve safety for all users of public spaces", declares Philippe
Goujon, Mayor of the 15th arrondissement of Paris.

"Flowell provides multiple services to communities. In the 15th arrondissement
of Paris, the innovative solution is proving its worth by fostering better
compliance with traffic regulations and improving road safety", underlines
Thierry Méline, Managing Director of Colas France, French Overseas and the
Indian Ocean.

About the 15th Arrondissement
The 15th arrondissement, the beating heart of innovation in Paris
In just a few years, the 15th arrondissement has gone from being a
family-oriented district to a business hub, popular with investors and economic
players, thanks to the hard work of development teams at city hall. This is
where the nickname of the southern part of the 15th arrondissement "Silicon
Alley" comes from, with the recent arrivals of Colas, Nestlé, La Poste,
Softbank and the Ministry of Armed Forces, as well as the "Golden Media
Triangle" with newcomers like the Altice group, Lagardère Active and
LVMH-Médias, in addition to other media groups already present, such as France
Télévisions and Le Point. The 15th arrondissement is also involved in a
number of urban development projects, such as the Parc des Expositions, which
will be under construction until 2023, Porte Brancion and 49 Quai d'Issy as
part of the Inventons la Métropole du Grand Paris project, which will be
designed for innovative uses (urban logistics, incubators, etc.), and the Pong
building on rue Cambronne, which has been transformed into a co-living and
co-working space and the first European e-sports center.

In just a few years' time, the 15th arrondissement has also become a district
for students, whose numbers have increased from 14,000 to 32,000 (and 40,000 by
2022), prompting the 15th arrondissement to offer solutions tailormade for
students (student housing, prevention, health and job-dating initiatives,
etc.).

Finally, the 15th arrondissement is open to experiments, with urban logistics,
smart-lighting (one hundred sensors were installed for the first time in Paris)
and a noise-reducing, anti-heat island asphalt mix was applied on rue Lecourbe
and rue Frémicourt.

About Colas
Colas, a subsidiary of the Bouygues Group, has one mission: to imagine, build
and maintain sustainable transport infrastructure. Backed by a network of 800
construction business units and 3,000 material production units in more than 50
countries on five continents, the Group's 55,000 employees act locally to
connect communities and foster exchanges for today and tomorrow. Colas'
ambition is to be the world leader in innovative, sustainable mobility
solutions.
In 2020, consolidated revenue at Colas totaled EUR12.3 billion (55% outside of
France).

Press contact: Mayor's office, 15th arrondissement of Paris
Aurélia JUBLIN - Press Officer

Colas Press contacts
Fabienne BOULOC: fabienne.bouloc@colas.com / +33 6 67 06 90 21
Agathe DUCELLIER : agathe.ducellier@colas.com / +33 7 62 12 58 69

Colas Investors contact
Marine ALLEMANDOU : +33 1 47 61 74 52 - Mélodie LAMIAUX : +33 1 47 61 75 61
contact-investors@colas.fr

COLAS's latest news

06/11/2023 17:45

COLAS (EPA:RE) - PR Colas - Flowell Paris 15

Transparency directive : regulatory news

COLAS's latest news

Other stories