The City of Santa Cruz Street Smarts program will host a “Be Safe Be Seen!” free bike light distribution for those in need at the west base of the San Lorenzo River Trestle Bridge on Friday, Nov. 19, from 4:30 – 7 p.m.

Bike lights will be installed with bike safety education in the Beach Boardwalk parking lot at this location.

Those who have bikes without lights will be outfitted with bright rechargeable 5-LED flat chip front lights and 5-LED red rear lights with 180 degree visibility.

These “Be Safe Be Seen!” Street Smarts bike safety events aim to help make cycling safer by providing more visibility to cyclists at night. Without lights, a person on a bicycle is nearly invisible in the dark. Cyclists who ride unilluminated are a danger to themselves as well as to pedestrians and other road users. Whether people are simply unaware or they cannot afford lights, the City of Santa Cruz Street Smarts program intends to help them become safe and seen. A white front headlight and rear red reflector are required under California law.

Street Smarts mission is to reduce the number of traffic-related crashes and injuries throughout the County of Santa Cruz. The City of Santa Cruz Street Smarts campaign expanded to a regional program in August 2019. More information is available at www.cityofsantacruz.com/StreetSmarts.

“Be Safe, Be Seen” funding was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.