Light donation sparks bicycle safety effort

Police in effort to aid after-dark cycling commuters

By Katie Wagner
Special Writer
   Cycling at night is about to become safer for some local bicyclists. Starting Monday, the Princeton Township Police Department will be handing all cyclists found without bicycle lights a letter encouraging them to pick up free front and rear bicycle lights at the police department.
   The letters are written in Spanish and a bicyclist will need to bring a copy of the letter to the department to receive the lights.
   Also included in the letters are the state’s bicycle safety laws and a warning to the bicyclist to use lights when riding at night.
   The distribution of the letters signifies the police department’s launch of another of its problem-oriented policies.
   Officer Geoffrey Maurer, who is spearheading this policy’s implementation, said he knows of about 12 to 15 people that he regularly sees riding their bicycles at night without lights along Route 206, Alexander Road and Mount Lucas Road. He added that these cyclists are all Spanish speaking.
   ”We’ve had one accident already around here, so the problem’s not going away,” Officer Maurer said. “We just want to keep these bicyclists from becoming a statistic.
   The police department wants the lights to be distributed to those residents that need their bikes to get to work during late hours and have limited finances, Officer Maurer added.
   ”I just want to make sure people that actually need them are going to get the lights,” he said.
   So far the department has received a donation of 20 rear bicycle lights from the Ski Barn in Lawrence. In the next couple of days, Officer Maurer said, the department should be receiving five bicycle headlights and reflective bracelets from the Latin American Defense and Legal Education Fund, which is partnering with the police department on this project.
   The Latin American Defense and Legal Education Fund, a nonprofit organization, is accepting donations for purchasing more lights. For more information about the program, call the fund at 877-452-5333.
   Officer Maurer encourages anyone able to donate more bicycle lights or assist with the program in any way to call the police department at 609-921-2100.