The 2025 legislative session has wrapped up and we are excited to tell you about several significant wins for Vermont’s biking community!

by Liv Miller, student in the Spring 2025 UVM Public Communications class.

As a full-time college student, I know how important it is to incorporate physical activity in my life. Between classes, part-time jobs, internships, and more, it is easy to take for granted the importance of maintaining my physical health. However, I know I am not alone in this struggle, as millions of Americans fail to achieve the recommended amount of exercise recommended by leading health experts.

As the saying goes, “the only constant in life is change”, and the Local Motion team is seeing a couple of changes. 

In the Greater Burlington area I see a wide variety of bikes. Over the years there have been waves of different kinds of bikes. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion remains a core value of Local Motion, despite the efforts to dismantle it by certain entities. 

I bought my Salsa Fargo from Old Spokes Home in 2008. That was the first year that Salsa made the Fargo. The Fargo is an adventure bike with mountain bike geometry and downturned handlebars. Other riders stopped me so they could take a look at the Fargo. It was an unusual look back then, but now adventure bikes are more common. I own five bikes but the Fargo is the one I ride the most. I use it for commuting year round. In the winter I ride with studded tires. Just recently I had the studded tires removed, a sure sign of spring! The Fargo’s paint is chipped but the steel frame just keeps on going. I have repairs done as needed. As I get older my Fargo is an inspiration. My body is dinged up, and I have my share of wrinkles but I hope to continue riding for as long as I can.

Each year, sugar houses statewide open their doors to the public for Maple Open House Weekend. It’s a chance to see the boiling process in person, to understand the hard work that goes into our state’s favorite sticky sap, and to stock up on maple treats. I took the “stocking up” part seriously this year as I joined in the Fifth Season bike race run by Analog Cycles in Poultney. 

Federal funding for active transportation projects is at risk of being revoked. Without this funding, many projects (even those already approved or in progress) will stop immediately.

For the second time, I recently attended the League of American Bicyclists’ annual National Bike Summit. This event draws participants from across the country - from professional advocates to caring citizens and students learning more about transportation policy and planning. This event includes more traditional plenaries and break out sessions, to a Lobby Day on Capitol Hill, and concluded with a day targeted to advocacy professionals, where I was on the Keynote Panel and then presented on Local Motion’s Bike Smart program.

The League of American Bicyclists has recognized Local Motion with a Gold Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) award, earning us a place alongside more than 1,100 businesses across the country contributing to the movement to build a more Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.