Life in the Safe Lane

As Published in The Bluebook Network, “Who’s Who” Seattle Fall 2016

Setting new standards for roadway coatings solutions

Written by Krystal-Rose Agu

Streets today are safer, more visible, and resilient thanks to a new liquid lane coating product that merges sustainability with simplicity. The inspiration for this product began with one man’s observation—which turned into a desire to improve safety conditions for people traveling on the road.

Twenty-two years ago, Jon Julnes, a seasoned installer of roadway products, discovered an underlying problem in his line of work—detectable warnings products in the industry failed at an alarming rate. Case in point, preformed injection-molded products often came loose and created trip hazards and/or formed too-slick surfaces. These hazards threatened the safety of pedestrians who, for instance, could potentially get struck by flying shards of frozen product broken up by snow plow vehicles clearing the roads.

In 2001, Julnes decided to take matters into his own hands to create safer, more durable roadway coating solutions and started Vanguard ADA Systems of America (Vanguard ADA Systems) to create enhanced outdoor surface products.

Inspiration that Sticks

Julnes and his team strove to perfect detectable street warning solutions by testing multiple industry products to determine faults and excess ingredients. Finally, after four years and much trial and error, Vanguard ADA Systems created a line that was simpler in composition and outperformed the competition in terms of durability.

One product in particular stands as a game-changer in the industry—Vanguard ADA Systems’ new EcoPath coating, a bike lane, bus lane and pedestrian path liquid product that lasts nine times longer than paint. The non-skid application literally fuses with pavement surfaces, creating smooth passageways for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians.

EcoPath coatings—which take less time to apply than similar coatings in the industry—penetrate and “become one” with surfaces and appear to look like asphalt once set. The formula strengthens concrete and makes it less susceptible to raveling or spalling and protects against chemical degradation. Also, by design, the coating doesn’t chip or flake. In turn, substrates last longer, reducing installation and maintenance costs.

Years ago, safety and visibility concerns on one particular jobsite set in motion the development of EcoPath.

The Path to EcoPath

Last year, through its construction division, Vanguard ADA Systems obtained a contract to install its guidance pathway system called GuideStrip on a road project in Seattle. The installation, adjacent to a green bike lane that had a coating installed by other providers, provided tactile cues for visually impaired individuals. However, Julnes and his team observed that the previous coating was dirty and had a rough texture; it also made the additional installation process complicated and expensive.

Julnes recalls, “I spoke to several bicyclists and nearly every one of them said ‘I hope I never fall on this stuff–it’ll rip my skin off.’”

Vanguard ADA Systems’ launch of EcoPath in October of 2015 aimed to solve these issues and meet the needs of people at all levels of pedestrian transportation. The firm understands that enhancing pedestrian and bike-friendly environments motivates people to take advantage of these modes of traveling.

“If products are overly complex, people will sometimes use them improperly or not at all. We are always focused on removing complexity in our product lines, and our detectable warning systems are a perfect example of that.” Jon Julnes, Founder and President, TILCO Vanguard Inc. and Vanguard ADA Systems of America

“Clearly, traveling on foot or on a bike is a healthier transit option, and it also reduces the need for and use of cars,” says Julnes, who knows a thing or two about being a cyclist and aims to travel by bike more often. “I recently bought a 21-speed bike,” he adds, “and it’s pretty fun to ride!”

A Solutions Company

Today, Vanguard ADA Systems formulates and distributes liquid plastics and products for colored pathways and coatings, and caters to general contractors and commercial and residential property owners. The company was once a subsidiary of TILCO Vanguard Inc., a parking lot striping and maintenance company established by Julnes in 1976. Julnes is Founder and President of both Snohomish, Washington-based businesses.

Vanguard ADA Systems’ clientele currently spans 43 states and Canada and includes The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington; Virginia Railway Express, a regional commuter rail service stationed in Alexandria, Virginia; and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. With EcoPath added to his firm’s offerings, Julnes anticipates that services and products could reach all 50 states within the next two years.

The company’s role as a solutions provider sets it apart from similar firms. Staff at Vanguard ADA Systems review products and services in the current market, then figure out ways in which they can be improved. Whether in speed of application, ease of use, longevity, cost or in other ways, the firm aims to develop superior products and systems. Julnes adds, “If products are overly complex, people will sometimes use them improperly or not at all. We are always focused on removing complexity in our product lines, and our detectable warning systems are a perfect example of that.”

Improved Formulas Enhance Sustainability

Seattle, Washington, known for its pursuits in environmental sustainability, is situated about 30 miles southwest of the company’s headquarters. Julnes has observed that growing metropolitan areas like Seattle tend to focus more on the needs of pedestrians and cyclists.

“I think that most larger cities are becoming more aware of the environmental ‘sins of the past’ and are trying to make up for it by doing reclamation projects, adding more bike lanes and such,” says Julnes. “Seattle has definitely grown in that respect and is singularly adding more pedestrian and bike pathways than nearly any other major U.S. city that I know of, which increases construction jobs, too.”

Another positive benefit of EcoPath coatings is its role in fostering resilience for streets and cities such as Seattle. The application heightens people’s awareness of their surroundings, offers riders safer paths for traveling, and also makes cyclists more visible to drivers. These detectable roadway warnings last 20 times longer than other competitors’ products, resulting in fewer trips to 
reinstall and maintain the pathways, says Julnes.

Vanguard ADA Systems also focuses on reducing harmful chemical ingredients in all of its products. This effort helps to protect humans, animals, and the environment from the negative effects of certain volatile organic compounds.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website defines volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, as substances that are “emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) 
 than outdoors.”

Today, thousands of man-made products produce harmful VOCs, but proactive efforts made by companies like Vanguard ADA Systems are helping to minimize this negative impact. The company’s products require less material per square foot and put out fewer VOCs than similar systems—and are less expensive, too.

“After years of product reformulations and removing unnecessary components, we succeeded in creating environmentally friendly formulas,” says Julnes. “This is one of our proudest achievements.”

Future Endeavors

As it continues to develop innovative new roadway solutions for its clients, Vanguard ADA Systems’ horizons look pretty bright—one might even say they “glow in the dark.” Currently, the firm is working to create a luminescent detectable warnings system and traffic paint to further enhance visibility on streets.

[Editor’s Note: Vanguard now has SkidGuard Black and Yellow Nonskid Pedestrian surface coatings, and LumaLine White, which glows in the dark at night and has all the same features as SkidGuard.]

“Anything we can do to make detectable warnings stand out, to draw drivers’ attention to those areas—especially at night—makes the world safer,” says Julnes. “I’m confident that it, like every other Vanguard product, will make everyone’s commutes safer and more enjoyable.”

Jon Julnes is Founder and President of TILCO Vanguard Inc. and Vanguard ADA Systems of America.

Link to Original Post:

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