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

Related Content

  • April 1, 2014
    UK organisations participate in EU green urban transport project
    The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), along with partners Transport and Travel Research (TTR) and several other leading UK organisations, are taking part in a 42-month innovative demonstration project which is investigating zero emission urban bus systems. The project, known as ZeEUS, is being co-ordinated by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and is co-funded by the DG Mobility and Transport of the European Commission with a budget of US$31 million (US$18.6 million EU fun
    Read More
  • October 23, 2015
    TRL to contribute to new autonomous vehicle research programme
    The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) the, has announced it is part of a new US$17 million five-year research programme to develop fully autonomous cars. The programme, jointly funded by Jaguar Land Rover and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), will look at some key technologies and questions that need to be addressed before driverless cars can be allowed on the roads without jeopardising the safety of other road users, including cyclists and pedestrians. TRL is the on
    Read More
  • April 14, 2025
    Lidar lets planners see big picture in Chattanooga
    The city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is attempting to make its streets safer by using the largest deployment of Lidar-based traffic detection in the US. Adam Hill reports…
    Read More
  • May 21, 2012
    Spark plugs may be replaced by lasers
    For more than 150 years, spark plugs have powered internal combustion engines. Automakers are now one step closer to being able to replace this long-standing technology with laser igniters, which will enable cleaner, more efficient, and more economical vehicles.
    Read More

Highlighted Content