We can all agree that night riding can be a little risky but riding without lights is even riskier. So on February 7th, the  Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition participated in Operation Firefly, a bike light distribution program sponsored by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and gave away 30 bike lights to light-less bike riders for a safer ride home. The program is intended to make sure bike riders in Los Angeles County are riding safely at night and are aware of  the California Vehicle Code of biking riding (CVC21201).  So, to ensure that riders in Pomona were riding safely and educated on bike laws, eight awesome volunteers also handed out spokes cards with the CVC and bike safety tips (in both English and Spanish) and conducted a brief survey on riders.  The result? Appreciative and well lit bike riders.

Of the survey data, we found that affordability and theft were among the main reasons why riders didn’t have bike lights. We also found that some riders knew it was the law to have lights but risked riding without them. One rider got in a accident because of it and another got a ticket.

Operation Firefly is set for the fall and winter seasons during daylight savings and we hope in the coming year we raise funds to continue this program for the future and expand it to other locations. But for now, we hope we made 30 riders in the Pomona Valley have a safer journey to their destination.