Peeks of orange leaves are popping out on trees and fall is around the corner! We’re so excited for cool-weather bike rides, strolls through apple orchards, and teaching kids to ride bikes with Bike Smart.
But before summer is officially over, let’s take a quick look back…
Thank you for celebrating our 25th Anniversary with us!
We are so grateful for this community that continues to support our mission. Last night, a core group of Local Motion staff, volunteers, supporters, and local advocates came together at the Community Sailing Center. We shared memories of the past 25 years. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come and how much has changed, and how much more work there is to do.
Current Executive Director, Christina Erickson, poses with Local Motion's co-founders, Chapin Spencer and Brian Costello.
We asked those in attendance to think about the next 25 years: where will Local Motion be by 2049? Here’s some of our favorites:
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Rails to Trails bike path connects USA to Canada’s Route Verte
- (Check out the WNEG: we’re part way there!)
- Winooski River Path connecting Burlington to Richmond
- “Flying bikes” available for rental
- Local Motion is nation-wide
Congrats to the winner of our VBT trip to Tuscany: Jackie L. of Burlington!
Want to take your own walk down memory lane? Take a scroll through our slideshow below.
Local Motion through the years
Reimagining Shelburne and South Burlington Streets
Our Complete Streets team was hard at work this summer with two big projects: safety and placemaking on Falls Road in Shelburne, and the Neighborhood to Schools Route in South Burlington.
The goal is always to slow vehicle traffic and increase safety for vulnerable users (that is, walkers, bikers, and rollers). We want to make these users more visible and give them space to move with traffic. Learn more about these two projects and how Complete Streets make a real impact on how we interact with and navigate through our communities in these videos.
Safety on Falls: a traffic calming demonstration
WCAX covers Neighborhood to Schools
Safe Routes to School kicks off for the year
As the school year begins, our Safe Routes to School team gets to work. Our vision is for every Vermont child to have the opportunity to walk, bike, or roll safely to school. We work closely with the community and statewide partners to achieve this vision in three categories: Education, Events, and Infrastructure.
Education is achieved through our Bike Smart program. Local Motion provides schools statewide with a trailer full of bicycles and an on-bike curriculum, with the goal of ensuring every child in Vermont knows how to safely ride a bike.
Get ready for National Bike & Roll to School Day on October 9, 2024.
Find resources to support this event at your school
The Bike Ferry is now operating on Fall hours
The ferry will be open on only weekends now through Indigenous Peoples’ Day, October 14th. Our schedule for the next month and a half:
Open Fridays 10am to 5pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 6pm
Upcoming events
Burlington Pride Parade - This Sunday! September 8th
Bring your bike and ride with us and the Radical Adventure Riders during the Burlington Pride Parade, this coming Sunday. Our theme is High-Vis Rainbow, so bring your best and brightest colors! (Think construction worker meets 90s aerobics class.)
EZ Breezy Cicada Spins - Tuesday September 24th
Celebrate the joy of biking year round with our EZ Breezy Rides! Rides start at 6pm from Local Motion's Trailside Center, the last Tuesday of every month.
The route for this series will head south into some of South Burlington's hidden infrastructure gems. Bring your bike, bring a friend, and bring some lights - the sun is setting earlier and earlier.
E-bike Demos - Saturday September 21st
Find us in two different locations to test out and learn more about e-bikes:
- BED Net Zero Energy Festival: 585 Pine St, Burlington
- Addison County Energy Fair: 179 Main St, Vergennes
Fall Fundo - Saturday September 28th
Support Old Spokes Home’s nonprofit mission to improve lives and communities through bicycle access
3 routes are available for riders of all types! Sign up to ride here.
Burlington Halloween Roll & Stroll - Sunday, October 27th
Don your scariest, silliest, wackiest costumes and take over the streets of Burlington in the 15th iteration of the event.
More details on route and timing to come. There will be prizes for costumes in multiple categories, so start your planning now!