New York Citi Bike pilots laser safety light

As part of an ongoing commitment to safer cycling in New York, the Citi Bike program is installing a new safety feature, the Blaze Laserlight, on 250 bikes this winter, with the aim of making Citi Bike riders more visible to drivers and pedestrians. The light uses laser technology to project a bike symbol six metres in front of the rider and, unlike the standard beam of bike lights, is visible from various perspectives. According to Citi Bike, research on use of the Laserlight on London’s bike share f
January 16, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
As part of an ongoing commitment to safer cycling in New York, the Citi Bike program is installing a new safety feature, the 8234 Blaze Laserlight, on 250 bikes this winter, with the aim of making Citi Bike riders more visible to drivers and pedestrians.

The light uses laser technology to project a bike symbol six metres in front of the rider and, unlike the standard beam of bike lights, is visible from various perspectives.

According to Citi Bike, research on use of the Laserlight on London’s bike share fleet indicates that a cyclist with a Laserlight at night is more visible than a cyclist in daytime. Tests by 491 TRL, the UK’s transport research body, comparing the Laserlight to a standard LED-only light found that, to a bus driver, visibility increased from 72 per cent to 96% per cent, with similar results for other vehicles.

The initiative also aims to grow ridership among women, whom studies have shown are more likely to ride in safer traffic environments with features like protected bike lanes and one-way streets.
Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New junction on London’s Cycle Superhighway offers safety measures for cyclists
    August 25, 2015
    Britain’s first junction designed to avoid cyclists being hit by left-turning traffic is unveiled today, the beginning of a new wave of such junctions on London’s busiest main roads. Cyclists and turning motor traffic will move in separate phases, with left-turning vehicles held back to allow cyclists to move without risk, and cyclists held when vehicles are turning left. There will also be a new ‘two-stage right turn’ to let cyclists make right turns in safety. For straight-ahead traffic, early-release
    Read More
  • Major European project for safer cycling
    November 8, 2016
    A major EU project is studying ways of facilitating the interaction between cyclists and motorists with the help of technical aids in order to reduce the risk of accidents. Project Xcycle, which involves researchers from six European countries, aims to find ways of achieving greater equality for cyclists in traffic, encouraging more cycling, and making travel by bicycle safer. The Swedish Road and National Transport Research Institute (VTI) is a major player in the project and are responsible for evaluating
    Read More
  • Speed cameras yield long-term safety benefits, IIHS study shows
    September 2, 2015
    A speed-camera program in a large community near Washington, DC, has led to long-term changes in driver behaviour and substantial reductions in deaths and injuries, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows. Automated speed enforcement is gradually becoming more common around the country but remains relatively rare, with only 138 jurisdictions operating such programs as of last month. According to IIHS, if all US communities had speed-camera programs like the one IIHS studied in
    Read More
  • Investment in pedestrian, cycling initiatives pays off
    June 30, 2014
    Five years after the Non-motorised Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) was established to measure the impact of investment in walking and cycling initiatives, the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has reported a 22.8 per cent increase in walking and a 48.3 per cent increase in cycling, while an estimated 85.1 million vehicle miles were avoided. The NTPP provided approximately US$25 million each to four pilot communities (Columbia, Missouri; Marin County, California; Minneapolis area, Minnesota; an
    Read More

Highlighted Content