Annual safety effort aims to raise importance of being seen while cycling 

Each October, volunteers from BikeWalk Alexandria, WABA, the City of Alexandria, viaVelo delivery service and area bicycle shops hand out free bicycle lights to cyclists as part of an annual bicycle safety and education campaign. 

In 2009, the partners donated 200 free front and rear bike light sets to help make streets safer for nighttime riders by raising awareness of the importance of being seen when cycling, especially at night.

While only three percent of bike rides happen at night, over half of all cyclists killed are hit while riding at night without lights. In conjunction with the distribution of the bike lights, volunteers also hand out safety information while reminding cyclists that it is the law in Virginia to have a front white light and rear red reflector, or rear red light, when riding in the dark.

Timed to coincide with the end of daylight savings time, the purpose of the bicycle light giveaway is to reach out to bike commuters and other cyclists riding in the dark without the proper safety equipment.

While doing this, BikeWalk Alexandria, viaVelo and the City hope to also reach the Latino community, one of the area’s largest bicycle commuter groups. The free light giveaways typically take place on the Holmes Run Greenway, Mount Vernon Trail and in the neighborhood of Arlandria, where a high concentration of Latino residents pass the distribution point near the Four Mile Run Trail.

For details on this initiative, please contact Mr. Yon Lambert, City of Alexandria Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator at 703.746.4081 or email yon.lambert@alexandriava.gov