Biking, walking, and rolling in the sun! ☀️

The 2022 legislative session is over, and it was a productive one for walking, biking, rolling, and transit. 

By Peter Burns

Exercise Addiction

I have an Apple Watch that can track the number of steps I take everyday and how many calories I burn. I had the watch set for 10,000 steps a day and 1000 calories. For the month of April I accomplished that goal every day. This meant exercising for about three hours a day. Sometimes I took late evening walks to reach 1000 calories. I was obsessed. If you have it under control, exercise can be a positive addiction, but it can also take over your life. In the beginning of May I decided to cut back on exercise. I felt that I was going to get hurt and I was tired much of the time. It was the first time in my life that I was able I cut back by choice, not because of an injury. I stopped keeping track of my steps, bike riding miles, swimming miles and calories. I also stopped weighing myself every week. It was a big step for me. Because so many people struggle to get enough exercise, it is counter-intuitive that other people have to struggle to do less exercise. I still exercise every day, but now I limit myself to a reasonable amount of exercise. I believe I have an intuitive sense of what that is. I will still go on long bike rides in the summer and swim a couple of times a week, but I will not keep track of steps, mileage or calories.  

By Peter Burns

Pearl Street Ride and Emergency SOS

When I ride from Winooski to the Burlington YMCA, I go down Pearl Street. The pavement is in bad shape, and there are lots of potholes. It is difficult to avoid all of them. If my smartwatch detects a big bump, it asks me if I am OK. I have to indicate that I am OK and that I did not fall off my bike. Once, by mistake, I indicated that I had fallen off my bike and the watch called 911 as well as my emergency contact person. I had to explain to the 911 operator that it was a false alarm. I also had to apologize to my friend who thought I had been in a serious accident.

Newsletter sent on 4/19/2022

Rolling into Spring! 🌷

By Peter Burns

Spring Riding

In the winter, I ride just to get around town. As the snow recedes and the weather gets warmer, I return to riding for pleasure. Because I ride all year round, I have a base level of fitness which makes it easy to gradually extend my rides in the spring. I go a little further on each ride until I am back to my summer level of fitness. I am careful not to overdo it. 

By Peter Burns

Bikes Inside

I store all my bikes in my house. In the last couple of months, I have read many Facebook posts about stolen bikes. Most of those bikes have been in sheds or locked to porches. Keeping bikes inside is more secure than storing them outside. In the winter snow on the tires can be an indoor storage challenge. 

Local Motion and the Burlington Walk/Bike Council are excited to provide the Burlington community with insight into where 2022 city council candidates stand on questions related to walking, biking, and rolling. 

Some things I re-learned after a year off from winter bike commuting.

By Jonathon Weber, Complete Streets Program Manager

Legislators in the Vermont House have proposed a variety of transportation reforms aimed at reducing carbon emissions. There's a lot in this bill, from complete streets to electric buses and more. We've submitted a statement to the House Transportation Committee, and our staff will be working with legislators and partner organizations to tweak and improve the legislation over the coming weeks. For now, here's what you need to know about what this bill says about walking, biking, and rolling, and what Local Motion's positions are on the various provisions. 

You can track and read the bill here.