BikePGH staff attach lights to bikes in Oakland

For Immediate Release

Pittsburgh – In an effort to make our streets just a bit safer, Bike Pittsburgh (BikePGH) partnered with the University of Pittsburgh on a targeted bike light giveaway last night (October 5, 2011) in Oakland. The pop-up event was a huge success. “We ran out of lights and had to turn people away,” said Rebecca Susman, membership and outreach coordinator for BikePGH, “It couldn’t have gone better.”

The effort, which was the first of its kind in Pittsburgh, set out to specifically target people riding bikes sans lights. Lights were not given to people who showed up on foot or on bikes which already had lights on them. Planet Bike extended a discount to BikePGH that made this program possible. “Planet Bike’s generosity and Pitt’s enthusiastic support made this possible,” stated Scott Bricker, executive director of BikePGH.

If you missed the opportunity to get a free light last night, BikePGH encourages you to use your membership discount at a local bike shop to buy a set. Scott  remarks, “Although last night’s event was a tremendous success in that dozens of people are now outfitted with proper lights, it is dismaying to see just how many people are out there riding unlit. Hopefully this educational effort raises awareness about starts to make a real difference.”

Facts:

• 50 sets of front and rear blinky lights (50 white front lights, 50 red rear lights)
• Nearly 60 bicyclists now fully lit who weren’t previously
• Almost 80 percent of those who received lights are students
• Dozens of bicycles registered with University of Pittsburgh to make tracking them down easier in case of theft
• Dozens of Pittsburgh Bike Maps, Bike Commuting 101 guides, and other street safety information was distributed, educating bicyclists on the best routes, rules of the road, and helpful hints about biking in Pittsburgh.

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Contacts:

Rebecca Susman
Membership and Outreach Coordinator
becca@bike-pgh.org
412.325.4334

Kevin Sheehy
Director of Auxiliary Finances and Director of Parking, Transportation, and Services
University of Pittsburgh
ksheehy@bc.pitt.edu
(412) 624-8824