This past spring, our Outreach & Logistics Specialist Daniel Liguori took part in a League Certified Instructor (LCI) training down in New Haven, CT. LCI training sessions are run through the League of American Bicyclists, which is a nation-wide group that is making biking an easier and safer option for more people.

It was an intensive course, diving deep into how to safely ride a bike yourself, then into how to teach these safe riding techniques to others. Daniel learned alongside 15 others from New Haven, Providence RI, and DC. 

Despite the differences of these dense urban communities compared to our rural and widespread Vermont towns, the LCI training attendees all noted the economic division in their communities. The spaces occupied by lower-income families and people of color - where people may not have access to cars and therefore must rely on active transportation - are generally the spaces where infrastructure is the worst. Bicyclists and pedestrians are forced to interact with car traffic more frequently.

The LCI training itself focuses on riding with traffic, giving bicyclists the skills to interact safely with the cars and pedestrians around them. Training attendees first run through a series of drills on important basic riding skills: stopping & starting, shifting while biking, scanning (checking for traffic), and signaling. They then move on to emergency maneuvers: quick stops and turns, and weaving to avoid dangers in the road.

Most importantly, Daniel noted that the LCI course taught them to meet people as they are. That is to say, everyone can learn how to bike, no matter their age or experience. 

We were able to try out some of the drills this summer with a few of the King Street Center middle schoolers and mentors. This wasn’t our first ride together - these KSC kids love to bike. It was great to see firsthand what worked and what could be changed to make these drills more fun and interactive for students. And so rewarding to watch how quickly they learned new skills, even practicing as we rode back along the bike path!

Daniel’s LCI certification will help with updates to our Bike Smart curriculum, a program that is used in schools and camps across Vermont to teach children how to ride safely. He now has the skills to instruct the instructors - empowering Vermont teachers to help their students ride bikes.

Thanks to the local organizers in New Haven who led the LCI certification course - Leta Highsmith and Alias Estebrook.