The city of Lahti stopped using the anti-slip agent formate on light traffic roads due to the increased price and feedback from residents.
The city of Lahti has stopped using the controversial formate in the winter maintenance of sidewalks and bike paths. Environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional salting have been sought for winter maintenance already at the beginning of the 21st century.
– From today onwards, brushing and formate treatment will not be applied to the enhanced winter maintenance route, i.e. the former winter brushing cycle route, but the route will be maintained by plowing and sanding.
The city received feedback about formate from, among other things, cyclists who told about the surprising rusting of their bicycles.
– With the help of formate, the footpath stays very smooth, but the shoes get tangled. You have to clean them well when you go inside.
For Vesa, stopping the use of formate on the city’s pedestrian and bicycle paths is fine, as long as sandblasting is done often enough on different sides of the city’s streets.
– Sometimes it feels like sand is more valuable than gold.
– These roads are all in good condition, I have no complaints. Thanks to the city for that.
In the feedback received by the city, cyclists have said that formate rusts the wheels. Markku Jaakkola has not noticed this himself.
– I still have a bike so new that the rust hasn’t gotten to it.
And has the wreath used for sandblasting harmed the tires? Sepeli is said to have punctured the tires of numerous cyclists.
– There are no problems with the wreath either, when the bike has better tires. It depends on the quality of the tire. This sandblasting works just fine instead of formate.
– In my opinion, plowing and sanding well is a better option than using formate.
– I haven’t gone crazy once. These streets of Lahti are well sanded.
