Cooled Bike Paths are Cool

I bike along the NE Branch Trail which, for large sections, is completely devoid of tree cover. In the summer it can get quite stifling (among other problems) so naturally I got jealous when I found out about Qatar's planned cooled bike path. It has a shaded canopy and misters

cooling the entire cycle path using cold ground water.

Dubai is also developing a bike plan and they may use the same bike path plan

Knowing a little bit about how the Sheik of Dubai gets things done, it will probably be the "best bike path system in the world." I hope he takes such pride in it.

Tree cover is far better in my opinion, and this seems excessive; but after biking around Phoenix all last summer I can see how in a hot, dry climate it's probably necessary (though not here in DC).

Streetsblog adds

Fortunately, when you've got a pannier full of oil money, 115 degree daytime temperatures are no big deal. The Emir hired the Rand Corporation and Rand proposed a 30 kilometer shaded, solar-powered, mist-cooled bike path. The Emir gave the green light and with no cumbersome democratic processes to get in the way the project sailed through to approval

Here's a video on the Qatar path. The video is old and says the path was to be built in 2007, which is wasn't, so it doesn't seem to be that effortless in Dubai. I'm not sure if the project is dead or just behind schedule.

Comments

[anakcu]

There is a semi-cooled bike path in DC called the C&O Canal Tow Path. On Monday, the thermometer on my bike computer registered 104 degrees in the shade in Georgetown, but fell to 94 degrees on the trail. Some of this is probably due to leaving the city heat sink--I'll have to ride on the CCT away from the Canal on a really hot day to get an idea of the Canal's true microclimate.

[miker]

Misting in the desert seems like a massive waste of fresh water. But maybe it is less so than having a canal next to it, unless that canal was used for irrigation or somesuch.

Having regularly ridden the C&O as well as Philly's Wissohickon Creek Trail, it isn't leaving the city that drops the temp: the combination of running water and tree shade does make it 10 degrees cooler.

Perhaps the oil barons should try that.