Boston - finally serious about bike lighting!

[randomgear]

For the past week, there has been a lighted sign on the Southwest Corridor Park telling cyclists to light up at night.
While I didn't speak to the officer manning the sign tonight, I did overhear a conversation that they will be ticketing riders $50 for no lights starting tomorrow.
If I see them tomorrow, I will be more inquisitive.

City of Boston

[thenomad]

Good, I'm fine with that.

BUT

They darn well better enforce the three foot rule and seriously prosecute wayward drivers.

[genec]

Wow, way cool. Sure gets the message home.

[randomgear]

This park is also known as the Pierre Lallement Southwest Corridor Bikepath.

MASS law about lighting is item 9 here: http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/Ge...r85/Section11b
A good

Nomad: no three foot rule; Mass only requires safe speed and reasonable distance when passing.
" In approaching or passing a person on a bicycle the operator of a motor vehicle shall slow down and pass at a safe distance and at a reasonable and proper speed"
http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/Ge...er90/Section14 right after the sentences about passing frightened horses.

[CB HI]

So, no warning or simple fix-it tickets?

[randomgear]

The officer that was there today may have been giving warnings, I don't think he was ticketing. I was tired, grumpy, and hungry when I passed him today so I didn't stop. I've been kicking myself about it ever since I got home. I hope he also was giving out discounts to the LBS's for blinkies; I'll stop and ask tomorrow, if he's there.

[buzzman]

It would be really cool if they gave awards to those of us decked out in several blinking, flashing and steady lights.

[mtalinm]

It would be really cool if they gave awards to those of us decked out in several blinking, flashing and steady lights.

+1

I'll take home the gold with my magic shine front and back plus a planet bike on the rack and another red blinkie on the helmet!

[JimJimex]

YEAAHHH makes everybody safer!!

[snowman40]

Sign should say Zombies hate lights....only because that is a hackable sign.

Legal - I do not endorse hacking of construction signs, it is most likely illegal (though funny as hell potential is high).

[CB HI]

The officer that was there today may have been giving warnings, I don't think he was ticketing.

My only point was that a fix-it ticket would allow the cyclist to use the $50 to get a decent light rather than making money for the city.

[AdamDZ]

NYDOT had a similar sign at the entrance to the Williamsburg bridge. A couple of weeks ago, DOT and 5BBC volunteers set up in the same spot with banners and gave away 1000 bike light sets to random cyclists.

But half of the people on the bridge still ride with no lights. I think an NYPD crackdown on cyclists in NYC will do some good. We really need a strong message that cyclists must behave responsibly and obey the laws.

Also, there is a new idiotic trend developing: people putting red lights in the front and white lights in the rear. This gets particularly annoying if the rider is also a salmon.

[wahoonc]

If you are going to ride at night obey the law, pure and simple. I think the $50 fine is a bit steep, but it is what it is. Maybe, just maybe this will be a step in the right direction of considering bicycles to be mainstream transportation. IIRC in some places like NL it is illegal to sell a bike without lights unless it is a racing model.

Aaron

[Fizzaly]

Here in boise its a 75$ ticket for each light you dont have, its been law for quite a while, yet people still dont get it, im not expecting people to spend all kinds of money, just something a little more than a reflector would help a great deal, on wed. my girlfriend and i where going to a show, and she nearly hit a cyclist that was soooo ninja i didnt even see him and he was right next to my passenger window, he even had a black baclava on. So BE BRIGHT, i agree with your sign

[dcrowell]

Louisville just had a cyclist death this morning. Little information so far, but it appears he had no lights or reflectors and was hit at 4:45am, so yeah, put some lights on your bike.

[thenomad]

How about yellow lights in the rear?

[no motor?]

It would be really cool if they gave awards to those of us decked out in several blinking, flashing and steady lights.

Yeah, to bad they timed this during the Magicshine battery recall.

[greengage]

It's funny--the cyclists I see here in JP seem to be one extreme or the other--either three or four blinkies or nothing...and a black bike!

Not to digress, but does anyone have an suggestions for good, reasonable lights that are easy to switch back and forth? I have a bunch of bikes and can't really afford to buy a set of lights for each of them but the Cat's Eye lights that I have are a pain in the arse to take on and off.

[Hardleft]

When I lived in Boston I had less of a problem with ninja bikes, and more of a problem with wrong-way bike lane ninja joggers. I nearly ran into a jogger every weeks or two who would appear from the dark, quite literally running right at me in all black, no lights, and no reflective material. I think they ought to get tickets too.

[LeeG]

My $.02 is that a high vis. vest makes as much sense as headlights. The times I've ridden wearing dark clothes WITH lights I've had cars and pedestrians not see me until I was on them but more importantly during the day it takes a strong strobe to get cars attention when not wearing a bright vest.

[CB HI]

When I lived in Boston I had less of a problem with ninja bikes, and more of a problem with wrong-way bike lane ninja joggers. I nearly ran into a jogger every weeks or two who would appear from the dark, quite literally running right at me in all black, no lights, and no reflective material. I think they ought to get tickets too.

Sounds like you also need a better headlight.

[Eileen]

It's funny--the cyclists I see here in JP seem to be one extreme or the other--either three or four blinkies or nothing...and a black bike!

Not to digress, but does anyone have an suggestions for good, reasonable lights that are easy to switch back and forth? I have a bunch of bikes and can't really afford to buy a set of lights for each of them but the Cat's Eye lights that I have are a pain in the arse to take on and off.

If you wear a helmet, the easiest thing is to use helmet-mounted lights. I have a PBSF and Cygolite Milion on my helmet. No matter what bike I'm on, I have lighting. Various back-ups on the individual bikes.

[wahoonc]

It's funny--the cyclists I see here in JP seem to be one extreme or the other--either three or four blinkies or nothing...and a black bike!

Not to digress, but does anyone have an suggestions for good, reasonable lights that are easy to switch back and forth? I have a bunch of bikes and can't really afford to buy a set of lights for each of them but the Cat's Eye lights that I have are a pain in the arse to take on and off.

I out fit the bulk of my bikes with permanent lights and generators. I do have a couple of Planet Bike Superflashes with extra brackets that I move from bike to bike as needed.

I also keep a set of old strap on Cateye lights for back up, probably need to upgrade to a set of the newer LED ones.

Aaron

[tarwheel]

They should also write tickets for ninja joggers who run in the dark wearing black tights and shirts with no lights or reflective gear.

[exile]

Not to digress, but does anyone have an suggestions for good, reasonable lights that are easy to switch back and forth? I have a bunch of bikes and can't really afford to buy a set of lights for each of them but the Cat's Eye lights that I have are a pain in the arse to take on and off.

I have two P7's from Dealextreme. I also have two flashlight mounts for each bike as well. You will need batteries and a charger however. Otherwise I believe the magic shines are supposed to be easy on and off.