5 November Giving out Bike Lights by the Jacques Cartier Bridge

   Each year, Dan Lambert, one of the founders of the Montreal Bicycle Coalition, buys up a large number of Bicycle Lights at the Dollar Store and stores them in his house.  In the fall, when sunset occurs near the evening rush hour he gives them out to any cyclist he sees who is missing lights.  It is one of the most effective safety initiatives I can think of.  Congratulations Dan.

  Dan invited me to come along and help him again this year and we gave out lights near the Jacques Cartier Bridge and did a count of what percentage of the cyclists already had lights.  This year we found that 80% of cyclists had lights on their bikes.

Dan also tells cyclists missing lights that they may face a fine of $128 from the police and that riding at night without lights is dangerous both for themselves and others.

On the way back he showed me some newly installed secure bicycle parking boxes the city has put in.