2023 was a fantastic year here at Local Motion. Check out our Impact Report for a by-the-numbers summary of all of our services and programs.

Local Motion, the Burlington Walk/Bike Council, and Old Spokes Home are excited to provide the Burlington community with insight into 2024 mayoral and city council candidates' positions on key issues. 

The second half of the 2023/2024 legislative biennium is upon us, and we're excited to return to the Statehouse and advocate for better walking, biking, and rolling in Vermont. Here's what we're focused on this year.

9-22-23 Ride

On Thursday September 21st I used Ride with GPS to plan a route in Franklin County. I was going to take my road bike but in the event I chose to use my gravel bike instead. My route included a stretch of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. I did more or less the same ride last year in late September and I remembered that the rail trail was not well maintained. My road bike has narrow tires and is not happy on rough ground.  

September 8th ride

On Friday mornings I usually teach a swim lesson at 8:30. Late in the evening of  September 8th I got an email canceling the Friday lesson.  This meant that I had the day off.  I decided to take the commuter bus to Saint Albans and start a ride from there.  Usually I  get all my gear ready the night before but it was so late in the day when I got the cancelation that I decided to wait until the morning to get ready.  I got up at five, had a bagel with a mixture of peanut butter, cream cheese, and strawberry jam, and then got ready to go.  The commuter bus to Saint Albans stops in Winooski at 5:45 AM and 6:45 AM. I decided to take the 6:45 bus.  I took a map along because there were a few route details that I was not sure of.  

Local Motion is excited to announce the addition of over 170 business locations and two new Burlington bike routes to our Interactive Biking and Walking Map. The “ONE Love Loop” and the Pine Street “Arts & Craft Loop” are now waiting to be discovered via the Interactive Map. The map can help you know where to go and find local parks, beaches, restaurants and bars, hotels, shops, and public restrooms.

Listen to the podcast here

Signs

I had a talk with this guy who had a  sign on the back of his bike.  He said that he has lots of different ones.  I asked him if the sign made it harder to ride when it was windy and he told me that it did not make a big difference.  I have the sense that all of his signs are positive.  I wonder what kind of sign I would display if I had a setup like his.  I have a couple of favorite bumper stickers.  One says, ‘Bumper Sticker’ another says ‘Eschew Obfuscation ’.   The sign man asked me about my panniers.  They are made by Ortlieb and are waterproof. More than one person has asked me about them.  I often get into bike-oriented conversations at the bike racks in front of City Market.  People comment on my bike or I ask someone a question.  I have talked about lights, brakes, panniers and the challenges of winter riding.  The bike racks are  like the hitching posts where people used to leave their horses.  Luckily bikes don’t poop!