Transportation
Citi Bike's New Safety Feature: Bike-Shaped Laser Projections
Gleaming icons appear on the pavement well ahead of cyclists, giving them enhanced safety in blind spots.
New York might still have a problem with motorists blocking bike lanes, but Citi Bike users now have a flashy new tool at their disposal to help carve out their own space on the road.
The bike-share program is installing Blaze Laserlights on 250 Citi Bikes, giving cyclists a new safety feature by projecting green bicycle symbols on the pavement 20 feet ahead. With luck, these little laser shows will announce cyclists’ presence to drivers and pedestrians well ahead of time, especially when they’re emerging from blind spots like corners, alleys, and the sides of vehicles.