By Sam Thomas
NORMAL – Cyclists descended on uptown Normal Thursday evening for the annual “Light the Night” event that provided free front and rear LED lights to bicyclists in need.
Joe Tulley is the Uptown Marketing Manager for the Town of Normal and he says providing free bike lights is an effective and affordable way to keep cyclists safe after dark.
“It’s a very small expense,” Tulley said. “It’s such a small expense that we feel like we can easily put it into folks’ hands. So we can do quite a bit of good with just a tiny bit of money when hosting an event like this.”
In addition to the free lights, free bike safety checks were performed by Bloomington Cycle and Vitesse Cycle Shop.
Cyclists in Illinois are required by law to have a light on their bike when riding after dark, though many riders still remain unaware of the requirement
Tulley says it’s important for cyclists to ride with a light after dark not only to stay in line with the law, but to improve their own safety as well.
“A lot of folks in the public don’t understand how important it is,” he said. “You’re required to have a light while riding at night in the Town of Normal…and it just improves your safety drastically.”
Tulley remarked that events like “Light the Night” not only provide valuable safety information, but also encourage more cycling in Normal.
“Hopefully we’ll have people coming through tonight that see all these bicyclists out here and say, ‘Oh look at that, that looks interesting. That’s something I’d like to be involved in.’ So it’s not just about safety, it’s about promotion as well.”
Tulley added that Normal’s support of bicyclists ties into the Town’s overall transportation plan.
Sam Thomas can be reach at Sam@WJBC.com.
