Going into the winter months of an earlier darkening hour, MOVE Santa Barbara County is reviving its annual Iluminando La Noche (Light Up the Night) campaign with a countywide push to get lights on local bikes.
Starting Monday, November 3, and running through Friday, November 7, the local transportation advocacy group will distribute hundreds of free rechargeable bike lights across six South Coast neighborhoods — part of an effort to make cyclists more visible and safer in low-light conditions.
“As daylight hours shrink, riding without lights becomes a serious hazard,” said Rick Wayman, interim executive director of MOVE Santa Barbara County. “Biking with lights saves lives, and we’re proud to serve our community in this way.”
Each event will begin at 5 p.m., with MOVE staff and volunteers on site to install lights, share quick safety tips, and offer resources about Bici Centro, the nonprofit’s DIY community bike shop at 434 Olive Street.
The week’s full schedule includes stops on the Eastside (Milpas and Cota sts.), Downtown (State and Ortega sts.), the Westside (Micheltorena and San Andres sts.), Carpinteria, Isla Vista, and Goleta.
“This is a real opportunity for us to be out in the community with a tangible and immediate way to help people get around more safely,” Wayman told the Indy.
In Isla Vista, MOVE will team up with LEAP Central Coast and host its event at Isla Vista Elementary School, rather than in the college-heavy center of I.V. Wayman said the decision was intentional.
“UCSB is doing a light distribution that same week near campus,” he said. “So we saw this as a chance to serve the rest of the I.V. community. We expect a lot of families and kids — the 5th graders will even be doing a bake sale while we’re there.”
The lights themselves are sourced through MOVE’s existing suppliers — purchased in bulk for use at their events and repair shops.
“We sell them at Bici Centro and when we do helmet sales or pop-ups,” Wayman said. “But this week, we’re giving them away — because this is the time of year when the darkness really sneaks up on people. We want cyclists to be as safe and visible as possible while drivers are still adjusting.”
Founded through a merger of the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition and the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation, MOVE’s mission is to promote safe, equitable alternatives to car travel — including walking, biking, and public transportation.
The organization provides education at schools throughout Santa Barbara County, advocates for bike- and ADA-friendly infrastructure, and operates community bike shops in both Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.
For more information and the full event schedule, visit the link.
