With its ambitious “Voies Lyonnaises” cycling network project, the Lyon metropolitan area in France has set in motion a veritable mobility transformation. The goal is to make cycling a central, fluid, and safe mode of transport, much like an open-air metro system.
On the ground, teams from Perrier Aménagements urbains and Aximum, both Colas subsidiaries, are actively helping to turn this vision into a reality, combining technical expertise, sustainability of materials, and respect for urban usages.
An XXL Cycling Network for an Evolving City
The program schedules:
- 13 inter-connected cycle paths,
- More than 350 kilometers of safe cycle routes,
- A continuous link between the city’s outlying suburbs and downtown Lyon.
Colas has been involved since the very start, with the construction of a first 1-kilometer section in 2022.
Urbalith : an Ecofriendly, Aesthetic, Permeable Surfacing Solution
Urbalith was chosen as the surfacing solution for this first section, based on its numerous advantages: it is light-colored and permeable, helps combat the urban heat island effect, and blends naturally into historic districts.
Do you want to find out more about Urbalith?
The choice of this pavement reflects the shared commitment of Colas and the Lyon metropolitan area to designing technical, ecological, and harmonious solutions to create a more resilient city.
A User-Centered Project
The “Voies Lyonnaises” project is part of a concerted, eco-designed approach, with a particular focus on reducing carbon footprints (electric utilities, solar panels on site compounds, limiting emissions), cohabitation with local residents, and integration into the urban environment.
Everything has been carefully planned to limit pollution and disruption, and to promote soft mobility usages.
Drawing the Lines of Tomorrow's City
The “Voies Lyonnaises” is more than a cycling network: it draws the lines of the future, reflecting a determination to combine technical performance, urban inclusion, and ecological transition.
Via Perrier Aménagements Urbains, Aximum, and all the expertise mobilized, Colas is demonstrating its capacity to lead projects with a strong impact on society, and to actively contribute to the construction of more connected, calmer and more sustainable cities.
