METAURBAN®, the containment system for today's cities

At Metalesa we firmly believe that the key lever to our growth as a family SME is Innovation, and that is the reason why we invest so much in R&D, with our own team of engineers and designers who continuously observe the environment and incorporate the best of other technologically cutting-edge sectors to our product catalogue. Hence, we can offer no only innovative road safety solutions, but also effective and competitive.

Today we want to focus on the METAURBAN®, a vehicle restraint system specially designed for installation on urban or peri-urban roads, and with CE marking.

Our latest flagship product, designed to promote safe sustainable mobility, is already being installed in numerous urban environments and cities due to its great proved performance and elegant aesthetics.

When we think of road safety, what first comes to our minds is cars at high speeds, but statistics go in a very different direction, and that is that urban and local roads are the areas with worse accident and mortality rates.

On the other hand, the massive proliferation of personal mobility vehicles, and the intensive deployment of bike lanes, represent a notable increase in risk and danger, especially for the most vulnerable groups such as children, old people and drivers of bicycles and electric scooters themselves.

 

Discover all its advantages

METAURBAN® metal parapet has been designed and tested to provide excellent security features in today's urban environments.

To guarantee its effectiveness in the event of an accident, the METAURBAN® containment system has been rigorously tested through a full-scale crash test, according to the European Standard EN 1317, having satisfactorily passed all the acceptance criteria for the containment level N1, the most suitable for urban environments.

The METAURBAN® metal parapet includes features that make it an essential product for the safety of the most vulnerable users in urban environments, such as pedestrians or cyclists.

  • In addition, it can be perfectly adapted to curved paths.
  • It features an easy assembly and disassembly process if components are damaged by impact; there is no need for weld joints or cuts.
  • Regarding its installation, the parapet has been tested by means of a chemical-fuse anchoring system that protects the concrete band against an impact, allowing its easy replacement in the event of an accident.
  • Great aesthetics, helps that today's cities maintain their charm
  • The techniques used to guarantee its protection against corrosion like hot-dip galvanizing according to the EN 1461 standard, and thermo-lacquering in the different colors of the RAL chart respectively.
  • Possibility of incorporating the motorcycle protection system (SPM) into the structure.

In summary, with the installation of the METAURBAN® containment system, urban and metropolitan roads with speed limits of 20.30, 50 and 80 km/h, become areas in which travelling is much safer, which will be key for users to lose their fear and adopt new urban sustainable mobility models.

Metaurban® has already reached our cities. Some projects

Metaurban is already a reality in many Spanish cities. Here are some projects that already have our METAURBAN® metal parapet.

 

Road reconditioning in Bedmar (Jaén)

Pass over A-7 in Estepona (Málaga)

Zamora

We are proud to think that, thanks to the installation of the METAURBAN® containment system, these urban roads are now much safer, and that with their installation we are increasingly closer to our goal: the protection of people.

If you are an installer, engineer, architect or an individual, and you need guidance about this product, do not hesitate to contact us. Together we will create the safe cities we all deserve to live in.


World Pedestrian Day, for safe cities

"World Days" generally refer to an event from the past that we recall to celebrate. But the truth is that these days do not always represent something to be celebrated, but instead occasions of awareness.

Today is Pedestrian World Day, and it is not exactly a day to celebrate. It is a day that has its origin in memory of the first recorded pedestrian victim: Bridget Driscoll was run over on August 17, 1897 in London, dying on the spot. We don't usually start our articles on Road Safety with this crudeness. But that is the reality. Since that day, the list of registered deaths by car accidents has unfortunately continued to increase.

The importance of 'celebrating' Pedestrian World Day every day

The objective of Pedestrian World Day is to join efforts to guarantee a much safer traffic for pedestrians, promoting adequate spaces to move around in cities, and remembering the obligations that both drivers and pedestrians have.

Some figures to consider

In the Spanish DGT report for 2019, the number of deaths on the roads was 1,755 people, of which a large part, specifically 53%, were considered vulnerable, that is, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. In addition, the report also reported a 6% increase in deaths in cities, with the vast majority of deaths being over 65 years of age. That said, we insist on the importance of being responsible, whether we are in the 'role' of pedestrian or driver, both for our own safety and that of others.

What to do to be a good pedestrian?

They may seem obvious, but believe us, it never hurts to remember these tips.

  • Always cross at the pedestrian crossing.
  • Respect traffic lights.
  • Always look both ways before crossing, even if the road you are going to cross is one-way.
  • Reduce the use of technology on the go. It is advisable to avoid using the mobile phone as it is undoubtedly a great distraction, not only when we are driving but also when we are walking around the city. In addition, the use of headphones is not recommended since the ideal is to have all our senses on the road.

 What to do to be a good driver on urban roads?

  • Respect the signs and speed limits.
  • Respect the cyclists who circulate on the road if there is no bike lane, since they have the same right to circulate on public roads.
  • Maintain a safe distance between vehicles.
  • Avoid distractions such as mobile phone use.

Urban Road Safety. What is it?

At Metalesa, we have always been concerned about raising awareness about the dangers on the roads, whether on the road or in urban areas, for this reason, we consider ourselves to be the standard bearers of the Road Safety concept.

And it is that our company philosophy goes beyond designing, manufacturing and installing products for road safety, since we also carry out this work of social awareness. However, it must be admitted that when the word of ‘Road Safety’ is heard, the majority of road safety education comes to mind, focused on safety at the wheel. However, Road Safety encompasses all areas in which any type of urban or inter-urban displacement occurs. In this sense, 'Urban Road Safety' takes on special relevance, which focuses in much greater detail on the particular cases of road safety in the urban environment.

Given that in today's article we are talking about World Pedestrian Day, it is an ideal occasion to discuss the concept of Urban Road Safety, since, although it is not exclusively linked to pedestrian safety, both pursue common objectives.

Urban Road Safety is the set of actions aimed at preventing, controlling and reducing the risk of accidents in the movement of people, whether on foot or by vehicle, within urban centers.

To put Urban Road Safety into practice, more and more cities have chosen to apply urban measures that include the reorganization of urban space and the promotion of the adaptation of user behavior to this new space.

A bit of urban history: The Car Cities

If we look at it, most cities are designed under an urbanization model that generalizes the mobility of private vehicles, and this situation began to occur approximately from the first half of the 20th century.

This fact gave rise to the ‘Car Cities’, cities in which the infrastructures at the service of the circulation of vehicles occupy most of the urban centers, so the chances of suffering accidents while traveling are considerably increased.

However, more and more cities are choosing to reorganize their urban designs and convert urban centers into more pedestrian spaces, and therefore safer in order to ensure Urban Road Safety. For example, the Plaza del Ayuntamiento de Valencia is now 100% pedestrian after the urban reorganization works that were carried out a few months ago.

Decisions and initiatives of city councils to promote Urban Road Safety

In addition to converting urban centers into pedestrian spaces, municipalities also carry out other measures to guarantee Urban Road Safety:

  • Improve the design of the streets and the signage to guarantee the coexistence of all the displacement systems.
  • Control and sanction road indiscipline more effectively.
  • Consider Urban Road Safety as a public health issue.
  • Act in the field of citizen training in Road Safety values.
  • Implement monitoring systems to improve the analysis of information on mobility and urban accidents.

Our products to guarantee Urban Road Safety

At Metalesa we like to say that "protection is our goal," and in order to achieve this goal, we take care of designing, manufacturing and installing products that guarantee safety in various fields. In the case of urban Road Safety, our railings are designed to protect pedestrians and to delimit spaces between pedestrian and road areas, among many other applications.

Cyclopedestrian railings

The cyclopeatonal railing is a restraint system for both pedestrians and cyclists who circulate on urban roads, so that it helps to reduce the accident rate on pedestrian or cycling routes. In addition, they adapt perfectly to the aesthetics of the urban area.

Steel railings

Steel railings are also pedestrian restraint systems. At Metalesa we have a wide variety of models capable of integrating perfectly with the landscape, since we have many thermo-lacquered finishes and colors.

Stainless steel railings

Their aesthetic appearance makes them very appropriate to be installed in any type of urban area, guaranteeing the safety of pedestrians. We have a wide catalogue with unique and modern designs, in addition, we can manufacture stainless steel railings with custom designs if the client requires it.

Railings with steel cable

Steel cable railings are one of the most elegant, and of course, safe options to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

Railings with perforated sheet

In the same way as the metal railings with steel cable, the railings with perforated sheet also present a very attractive appearance for installation in cities, since they can be manufactured with any perforated design in the material. Depending on the type of perforation, you can create a design that provides safety to the pedestrian without sacrificing aesthetics on the streets. Because ensuring safety does not mean giving up good taste!

The truth is that it is in everyone's hands to be able to reach the goal of achieving a 0% accident rate in cities. Little by little we are taking steps that bring us closer to achieving it, but there is still much to do. From Metalesa, information and awareness articles like the one you just read or through the installation of our products, we try to do our bit. And you, what are you willing to do for your safety and that of those you care about?

If you need a quote for the installation of our products for Urban Road Safety, do not hesitate to contact us. Call 96 088 99 44 or send us an email to metalesa@metalesa.com


Barandilla de acero inoxidable - Diseño METALESA

Mobility and security solutions in urban enviroments

We are currently witnessing an increasingly accelerated evolution of our societies, and like all progress, it has its positive part and its negative part. However, this is not something new. For years, cities have been facing more and more challenges due to their unstoppable growth, the increase of traffic, the aging of the population ... All this requires providing solutions that from Metalesa we are willing to offer in order to ensure urban security...

Thanks to our experience and the products we design, manufacture and install, we are able to provide solutions to various problems that occur in cities, tackled from different fronts:

Mobility

Most cities are in the process of adapting to the new mobility formulas that have emerged relatively recently.

With the aim of ensuring the sustainability of cities, for many years most cities began to establish a new urban reorganization that included bicycles on their roads; therefore, bike lanes began to be enabled to go anywhere. Now it is much more complex than that.

The popularity of electric scooters is undoubted, and it is a phenomenon that is going to increase. Sustainable, practical, efficient ... But it also represents a challenge in mobility issues, for this reason, the proliferation of new urban routes is necessary in order to guarantee safety. What products for urban security can we provide from Metalesa?

Urban Parapets

It is a containment system specially designed to be installed on urban roads, in order to provide safety and aesthetics in urban areas such as streets, avenues, roundabouts ...

With the installation of urban parapets in the cities, it is intended to guarantee the safety of both pedestrians, cyclists and people who use the electric scooter to get around. In addition, they are also used to adequately contain vehicles that circulate through urban areas or those limited to 50 km/h.

Cyclopeatonal Railings

In addition to the urban parapets, in Metalesa we have more products destined to the protection of those groups that move around the cities using ‘more vulnerable’ transports; this links with one of our main objectives, to ensure road safety.

Cyclo-pedestrian railings are containment systems for cyclists and pedestrians. They are usually installed in road areas where bicycles and mopeds circulate. Therefore, it is a safety element that cannot be missed in order to reduce accidents.

Its height between 1.3 m and 1.5 m depends on what the requirement is. In addition, at Metalesa we add an aesthetic touch to our cyclopedestrian rails so that they integrate perfectly into the environment.

Bollards

With the same objective of guaranteeing safety of mobility, we design, manufacture and install bollards to prevent vehicles from entering pedestrian areas.

It is a steel pole anchored in the ground, ideal to cushion shocks. Therefore they are essential in any urban area and establishments such as shopping centers, gyms, open parking lots ...

Acoustics

Noise pollution is another of the fronts to which we have always wanted to solve, and on which it is increasingly necessary to take action. Not all the problems that a city brings are visible ... noise is not, and from our experience and contact with groups that suffer from it, we can affirm that it is a very serious problem.

The growth of cities has influenced in increasing the acoustic problem. Cities have been expanding, and for example, the presence of housing estates near industrial estates is not uncommon. In addition, although more and more limits are imposed on the passage of vehicles through downtown areas of the cities, the excess of traffic, and the noise pollution they entail, continue to be a topic on the agenda.

How do we get involved from Metalesa to solve the challenge of ending noise that is so damaging and so bothersome?

Acoustic Screens

Acoustic screens or anti-noise screens have the mission of minimizing the impact of noise pollution in cities. We have assumed that they are necessary on roads, in the vicinity of the railway network or in industrial areas ... but we are not always aware of the noise level with which we live in urban areas.

Our Urban Screens

The growing concern for acoustic quality in urban areas has led us to design urban screens that fulfill a double function: protection and aesthetics. At Metalesa we have a wide variety of acoustic screens specially designed to be installed in cities. Methacrylate screens, wooden or metal acoustic panels are the most demanded for their functionality and adaptability to the environment.

Urban Support Equipment

We are increasingly part of more advanced and developed societies in all aspects. For this reason, the aging of the population is an evident phenomenon. Hope and quality of life is much higher than a few years ago, which, being a positive fact, means having to adapt cities to this part of the population, enabling urban structures to guarantee their protection and facilitating their limited capacities for mobility.

These are more vulnerable groups for security purposes, so it is necessary to pay special attention to them. In addition, of the urban parapets and the cyclo-pedestrian railings explained above, at Metalesa we manufacture all kinds of fences and railings that adapt to the needs of each urban space and the group that routinely travels it, especially thinking of older people.

Steel railings, cable railings, or perforated sheet metal are some examples of urban fences that give cities protection and style.

The development of cities is something unstoppable, therefore, we must adapt and assume the challenges that arise as society progresses. At Metalesa we are ready to solve these challenges and we will be happy to help you if that is also your goal. For more information about our urban products or to request a quote, do not hesitate to contact us by calling 96 088 9944 or sending us an email at metalesa@metalesa.com.


METALESA installs its urban parapet in one of the underpasses with a high accident rate in Valencia

In December 2018, METALESA concluded the installation of 800 metres of urban parapet for the Bulevar Sur underpass in front of La Fe. Its objective is to prevent cars crossing the median strip and ending up in the opposite direction, which causes many of the serious accidents that occur at that point.

This median strip is part of the short-term actions to improve road traffic safety, part of 'Improving the urban road network and calming city traffic' strategic approach of the City's Road Safety Master Plan. The Road Safety Master Plan for 2018-2023 is the first prepared by the Valencia City Council and in line with the European Commission’s objective to cut the total number of fatalities on European Union roads in half by 2020 and following the principles of 'Vision Zero', a multinational road safety project that seeks traffic systems without deaths or serious injuries.

Learn more about the project in this news article published in Las Provincias (in Spanish).