This was my third time at the National Bike Summit and Lobby Day, hosted by the League of American Bicyclists. Part family reunion, part pep rally, this was again an excellent opportunity to see how the work we do in Vermont connects to that of our peers across the country, and is all tied together with federal policy efforts.

This has been a difficult winter for riding. A few times, when I was climbing the Colchester Avenue Hill going into Burlington, I felt that I was pushing my physical and psychological limits, but I am a stubborn person, so I always made it to the top of the hill! I have not yet missed a day riding this winter. Luckily I have not fallen off my bike or fallen when walking on ice. On the coldest days my heated mittens and heated inner soles have really helped. Early in the season, three degrees would be something I faced with trepidation, but by February that kind of temperature was routine! When I first started riding all winter, about 40 years ago, I seldom saw anyone riding in the snow. Although I still don’t see many people during actual storms, there are many more year round riders. It is good to see them, and feel a sense of camaraderie!

Have you ever wished there were easier opportunities to get to know your neighbors? Have you thought about hosting a block party or neighborhood gathering on your street? When a street closes to cars and opens to people - even for a few hours - kids play freely, neighbors meet and talk, and the whole block feels different. A block party isn’t just a party; it’s a glimpse of what people-centered streets can be.

This op-ed was written by UVM student Sage Lepore as part of a public communications service learning project.

At Local Motion, our mission is to make it safe, accessible, and fun for everyone to walk, bike, and roll in Vermont. Our Complete Streets team works alongside communities to create streets that are safer for everyone. Recently, we’ve found ourselves asking: What if the most powerful step toward people-centered streets is connection?

I read most of this book on a bus ride to Boston. I was on my way to my daughter’s wedding. In the speech I prepared for the wedding lunch, I described my daughter running up and down a little hill as we sang "The Grand Old Duke of York." Right at the beginning of The Wind at my Back I came across this passage "That snowy Christmas we endured the long hours of faltering motorway traffic, staring mindlessly at blank fields and filthy cars, singing "The Grand Old Duke of York" over and over again to send our daughter to sleep, munching on turkey sandwiches."

(How Burlington's Accessible Outdoor Spaces Have Made it Easier for Me to Get Outdoors)

This op-ed was written by UVM student Abby Spires as part of a public communications service learning project.

Local Motion, Vermont’s statewide bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization, has six new board members: Carlton Bonilla of Winooski, Scott Cone of Pomfret, Marlon Fisher of Winooski, Mohsen Ghasemizade of Burlington, Mary Still of Winooski, and Adrian Tanguay of Essex Junction. Suzanne Kelley of Colchester is now serving as Board Chair. Suzanne says, “We are pleased to welcome our newest board members, who will help support and advance Local Motion’s mission to make walking, biking, and rolling safe, accessible and fun for all”.