VIDEO: LightLane adds instant bike lane for night bicycle rides
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Jun 23rd 2009 at 9:26AM 
LightLane - Click above to watch a video after the jump
There's no question that well-designed and implemented bike lanes improve safety for cyclists by making them less likely to be hit by passing automobiles, and that's especially true after the sun goes down. LightLane thinks it has the solution in the form of
A single charge of the onboard lithium ion battery pack provides three hours of continuous use, and any universal cell phone charger is reportedly capable of recharging the battery pack. We'd still suggest wearing a reflective jacket or vest along with the rest of the applicable safety gear, but anything that improves the safety of cyclists is fine by us. Click past the break for a video of a LightLane prototype in action.
[Source: LightLane]
Video:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
CB 9:34AM (6/23/2009)
I think most bikes riders would agree that there are plenty of jerky drivers out there that would completely ignore that little, thin green line.
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SimbaDogg 1:16PM (6/23/2009)
that is 100% true. and by the way, someone should tell these people as far as universal cell phone chargers...thats not even close to being a reality yet.
(micro usb standard is years away from being implemented)
wiggyx 3:46PM (6/23/2009)
Yup, I'd probably be one of them. Sorry. On a cramped city street, a little green light isn't gonna do much but distract me from watching the road and make me pay even less attention to you on your bike (making it all the more likely that I hit you by accident).
amnigo 5:53PM (6/23/2009)
Hard to ignore the bikers that don't follow the law and bike in the middle of the road though.
McPOW 6:36PM (6/23/2009)
"Hard to ignore the bikers that don't follow the law and bike in the middle of the road though."
You need to brush up on the lay, in fact almost everywhere bicycles have 100% equal rights to use the entire lane of the road when they feel it is necessary, ie there is not enough room on the shoulder, etc. When this is the case the cyclist is instructed to *take the entire lane* to enforce that passing the bicyclist is not safe at this point.
That said, a biker is pretty damned stupid and inconsiderate if they do so when they don't need to, respect needs to go both ways.
amnigo 10:42PM (6/23/2009)
Not here in New York. And most other states.
amnigo 10:49PM (6/23/2009)
Section 1234. Riding on roadways, shoulders, bicycle or in-line skates lanes and bicycle or in-line skates paths.
(a) Upon all roadways, any bicycle or in-line skates shall be driven either on a usable bicycle or in-line skates lane or, if a usable bicycle or in-line skates lane has not been provided, near the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway or upon a usable right-hand shoulder in such a manner as to prevent undue interference with the flow of traffic except when preparing for a left turn or when reasonably necessary to avoid conditions that would make it unsafe to continue along near the right-hand curb or edge. Conditions to be taken into consideration include, but are not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, in-line skates, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or traffic lanes too narrow for a bicycle or person on in-line skates and a vehicle to travel safely side-by-side within the lane.
snowtarded 3:35PM (6/25/2009)
@anmigo, thanks for refuting your own comment. makes my job a lot easier.
Bicyclists are to ride "near the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway or upon a usable right-hand shoulder in such a manner as to prevent undue interference with the flow of traffic except when preparing for a left turn or when reasonably necessary to avoid conditions that would make it unsafe to continue along near the right-hand curb or edge."
Egon 9:40AM (6/23/2009)
frickin' laser beams...lol
I'm not sure I get it. How is it safer for a bicyclist...at NIGHT...to designate his/her own lane? Using that logic, I could get a set for my car and after closing time weave my way home; "No ossifer, I was maintaining my lane prefectly..."
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Egon 10:11AM (6/23/2009)
And having just watched the YouTube video, that guy and his pretty green lasers is a prime candidate to become roadkill.
BTW, the first time I tried to load the video, I got an error message stating there was an "invalid parameter". Fitting, no?
AndrewNoNumbers 12:30PM (6/23/2009)
The point is so bikers can have their own underbody lighting.
Gardiner Westbound 9:48AM (6/23/2009)
Our city has spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars installing miles of trendy curb-protected bicycle lanes. Hardly anybody uses them preferring instead the sidewalk or roadway.
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akboss302 10:40AM (6/23/2009)
If you're talking Toronto, I know what you mean. While it may seem like a trendy exercise now, it will just take time for people to get it. In the same way road networks required huge initial investment (and real estate) 100 yrs ago, it will be a while before alternative commuting networks takeoff. But once city congestion reaches a peak, and if cities follow suit with some in Europe and charge a congestion fee for in-town driving, people will begin to rethink their commute and if its worth taking the car. I think these bike/walking networks are a great idea, I hope Toronto and Canada lead the way.
akboss302 10:42AM (6/23/2009)
It may sound like I'm hating on cars, which is not the case. I just figure if more people are biking/walking to work, we would have a healthier population and leave room on the roads for those that enjoy driving at more than 5 km/h bumper-to-bumper.
Judy Zik 1:35PM (6/23/2009)
Small change compared to the BILLIONS we have all spent on clogged roadways and expressways while supposedly trying to encourage people to take transit, bike and walk. I would really like to see more effort put into making our cities pedestrian and bike friendly. The problem right now is cities put in a stretch of bike path here and there when they redo a road but they don't link up or are designed as off road nature trails. Generally there is no way to get from point A to point B efficiently using a safe well made bike trail.
ev01 9:49AM (6/23/2009)
Yeah.. a neat idea, however, I agree with the posters above. Being as visible as possible is the key for night time cycling. I use Xenon strobes (like what's on an ambulance only smaller)
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Okapi 10:18AM (6/23/2009)
i was pulled over a few months back for allegedly "impersonating" and emergency vehicle with similar lights. These are the only lights that have ever really made a difference in safety so i am reluctant to give them up.
homunculus 9:52AM (6/23/2009)
until those lasers are able to shoot cars and destroy them, i don't think this'll work.
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Kumar 10:14AM (6/23/2009)
They're actually working on a model that melts the tires of oncoming cars that stray into the path of the laser beams. ;)
Aytunc 9:55AM (6/23/2009)
I second the comments above. this little puny green laser may be trendy but I would NOT trust to save me from a faceplant to car door.
I think the creator had never ever ridden a bike in the city before. Hey here is a trendy idea, why dont we make a twitter status update with GPS interaction and who ever is the vicinity gets a twitter mobile update of our status in conjunction with local Wi-Fi.
Is that trendy enough?
give me a strong light and high visibility vest.
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