"Although only 20 percent of bike rides happen after sunset, more than 50 percent of bike fatalities happen during those hours," said MassBike Executive Director Richard Fries. "Simply being seen is one of the most important ways to make a bike rider safer. But too often - especially during this time of year - we find people caught on their bikes with inadequate lighting." This can be a simple lack of awareness or they cannot afford lights. In either case, MassBike wants to help make sure riders are seen on the roadways and get to where they need to go safely.

The lights being distributed will be from Planet Bike. "These are higher quality lights than most giveaways and their batteries - which are replaceable - will last, on average, about a year," added Fries.

Online fundraising will kick off next weekend at a MassBike fundraising event, the Champions' Dinner, in conjunction with the KMC Cross Fest on Saturday September 30 in Thompson CT. Online Fundraising will launch Monday, October 2. A donation of just $10 donation will provide a set of lights to a rider in need. Lights will be distributed on Thursday November 2, just prior to the end of Daylight Savings Time that weekend at area colleges including UMass/Lowell, Bunker Hill Community College, Salem State University, Roxbury Community College. More locations will be added as the distribution date approaches. 

The goal of the program is to give out 1000 lights in one single day. Can we count on you to give starting October 2?

Fundraising links will go live on Monday, October 2 on massbike.org and via Facebook. Stay tuned!