3 Ways to Stay Visible When It's Dark
How you can be seen and be safe in the fall and winter months
This time of year, many of us are traveling when it's dark outside. TriMet operators are extra careful in the fall and winter months, looking for riders waiting at unlit bus stops. But we need your help, too.
Here are some tips to help you be seen and be safe during the winter months:
- Wear bright-colored or reflective outerwear. You are first visible to a driver 500 feet away when you are wearing reflective clothing—compared to just 55 feet away when wearing dark colors.
- Add more shine. Put reflective tape and strips on your shoes, backpack, purse, bike wheel spokes, jacket sleeves, pant legs... really, anywhere and everywhere! Reflective vests, jackets and hats are great as well.
- Light yourself up. We recommend all riders carry a flashlight, a cell phone or flashing safety strobes. When you're waiting at a bus stop, it helps if you stand up, move or wave as the bus approaches. And if you're a cyclist, by law you must have a red light in the back and a white light in front, before sunrise and after sunset.
Riding the bus at night
If you are traveling between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., you can ask your bus operator to stop anywhere safe along your route—not just at designated stops.
Just let the operator know where you want to stop a block or two in advance. He or she will pull over at a safe place to let you off. This service is available anywhere outside Portland City Center and the Lloyd District.
