Starting today, Police officers in Missoula Montana will give away a free set of bike lights to cyclists stopped for not having them.
Sound familiar? It should. The program takes a page out of a similar program by the Portland Police Bureau that began over a year ago.
According to an article in the Missoulian, the project was spearheaded by Missoula Mayor John Engen after he heard about Portland’s program at their recent Bike/Walk Summit.
Missoula’s program has an informal name of “Be Bright! Use a Light!” and according to the paper has already been “lauded by bureaucrats and bike advocates alike.”
On a similar note, don’t forget to bundle up and brighten up for this week’s See & Be Seen Bike Light Parade. Organized by PDOT’s Transportation Options division and hosted by the Community Cycling Center, this ride leaves from CCC headquarters (NE 17th and Alberta) at 5:00pm on Thursday (11/30).
I’ll see you out there!
there are other cities
across the country
adopting free light programs. this is ours in kansas city
http://kcbikefed.org/files/kcnews/freelights.cfm
weve given out 100 sets this fall
peace
I don’t understand why we reward stupid people for not using a bike light. Anyone riding a bike at night knows they are breaking the law.
If we take this to another level why don’t we just have the police drive any drunk driver home. It doesn’t matter that they are breaking the law just like the bike riders are.
Both Groups are risking peoples lives including their own. We reward one group and punish the other. It is another one of those things where the Police are now required to be police and court all in one.
Rewarding law breakers…. Great Idea