As daylight saving time ends and sun sets over Cleveland earlier, Bike Cleveland last week continued its mission to keep cyclists visible and safe on Cleveland streets through its free bike light distribution program, Random Acts of Brightness.

The advocacy organization held its latest light distribution event last Wednesday, Oct. 30, when volunteers fanned out across Cleveland's near west side from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.—intercepting cyclers riding in the dark and equipping them with free front and rear USB rechargeable lights. Bike Cleveland also had a tent set up outside its Bridge Avenue headquarters.

“Most bicycles don't come standard with lights in the United States—they come with just reflectors,” explains Bike Cleveland communications and events manager Jason Kuhn. “You have a lot of riders in Cleveland that ride out of necessity. As the days keep getting shorter and shorter, it's easier for them to find themselves in a position where they're riding without visibility at night.”

Bike Cleveland volunteers installed bike light sets for riders last week Since 2012, Bike Cleveland staff members and volunteers have distributed more than 5,000 light sets to cyclists throughout the city, often alternating between the East side and West side. Kuhn says Bike Cleveland usually buys 200 to 300 sets of lights, twice a year, and often holds the Random Acts of Brightness events several times a year.

The program targets riders of all ages, from students heading home from after-school activities to commuters traveling to and from work.

“When you have people that don't drive and the bike is their main transportation, they don't always realize how invisible they really are on the road,” Kuhn says. “This is a way for us to educate them as to why lights are important.”

Bike Cleveland buys user-friendly, USB-rechargeable lights that don't require special or expensive batteries so the riders can begin using them right away, easily recharge them, and keep using them.

“We make sure we get good quality lights that aren't a burden for them to maintain," Kuhn notes. "They can go home that night, plug them right into their phone chargers, and charge them right back up.”

The program is funded through various sources, including targeted donations, sponsorships, and proceeds from other Bike Cleveland events. Volunteers and staff members often carry extra light sets with them to distribute when they encounter cyclists riding without proper illumination.

A rider tests his new headlight. During last week’s event, teams were in Ohio City, Clark-Fulton, Tremont, and Gordon Square.

“We caught a couple who were just riding to the store to pick up some things they needed for dinner,” Kuhn recalls. “Neither one of them had lights. Those are the catches that really matter for us because they're going to get right back onto those bikes 20 minutes later and ride home.”

Bike Cleveland plans to hold another Random Acts of Brightness event in the East Side neighborhoods in the coming weeks. All of the group’s initiatives and other events are listed on the Bike Cleveland Events page.

Other planned events include Better Streets meetings throughout the month of November to empower Cleveland residents to improve the safety, comfort, and accessibility of Cleveland's streets, advance hyper-local infrastructure, and promote alternative transportation. Neighborhoods include West Park at the West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development offices and Collinwood at Waterloo Arts.

Later in the month Bike Cleveland will hold its annual Cranksgiving bicycle food drive on Saturday, Nov. 23, to raise money and food donations for the Hunger Network.