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!

It’s the start of a new school year, and we’re finally seeing things returning to normal. Schools are getting excited about getting kids active and are using Safe Routes to School (SRTS) to solve the School Drop-Off Dilemma.

We have 65 SRTS school and educational partners engaging in the work!  Every year, these schools run fun events encouraging active transportation, like this fun walk to school day event at Twinfield Elementary pictured below. 

On Friday mornings I teach a swim lesson at the YMCA that begins at 8:30 AM.  I like to get to the Y  early so I don’t have to rush. I live in Winooski and if I am going into Burlington I calculate that it will take me about an hour to get ready to go and then ride to my destination. On Friday August 1st I started getting ready at 7:15 AM so I could be at the Y at 8:15 AM. Getting ready means  dressing, packing a change of clothes for after my shower at the Y, gathering my bathing suit and teaching shirt and choosing which bike shoes, hat, gloves and buff to wear for the day. I also put lights on my bike, helmet and hip pack. In late August and early September the days are warm but the mornings are cool. I wear a light jacket when I leave my house in the morning. In the event I got to the Y at 8 so I decided to go to City Market before going to the Y. I noticed that almond butter was on sale so I got some. Usually I just eat peanut butter.

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

Winooski Wheels

In late March I took my commuter bike for a tuneup to Winooski Wheels, a new bike shop in downtown Winooski. I am so glad to have a bike shop in town! I support Old Spokes bike shop, but because I don’t own a car, every time I dropped off my bike there, I had to walk an hour to get to my home.  Then I had to walk back when the bike was ready to be picked up. Winooski Wheels is only a 10 minute walk from my house, which makes it much more convenient.  Every city should have a few essential services  including a swimming pool, a library, a bookstore, a bakery, a hardware store, a bike shop, and a grocery store. At least we have a bike shop, a pool and a library!

Local Motion staff worked with our partner organizations at Transportation for Vermonters to make progress on several key legislative issues.