By Jonathon Weber, Livable Streets Program Manager

One impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been a drastic drop in motor vehicle traffic in our communities. Step out to a normally busy road in your town, and you’ll probably notice it. At the same time that there are fewer cars, many more people are out biking and walking. There are so many people at times, that there isn’t enough room on the sidewalk for them to abide by physical distancing, which is forcing people to walk in the road. 

A few words from Local Motion Executive Director, Karen Yacos:

As we look back on 2019, I see a year in which Local Motion advanced the work of culture change and movement building in a serious way. We brought Jeff Speck—a thought leader in designing equitable bike- and pedestrian-friendly communities—to UVM, where he spoke to a packed room of officials including mayors and planners, advocates, and interested citizens. And then we brought many of those same folks to Montreal to experience firsthand the sort of changes for which Speck (and Local Motion) advocate. 

By Jonathon Weber

Five or so years ago, as e-bikes were just starting to pick up steam, my partner and I invested in an e-bike for her to commute on in San Diego, California, where we lived at the time. She loved it! And best of all, it meant that our car didn’t move on most weekdays. 

A trip to Montreal is always a treat—there are incredible art and music, and delicious food from every tradition. Of course, you’ll find those things in Vermont, too. When it comes to bike infrastructure, though, our northern neighbors are far ahead. Montreal boasts a robust bike infrastructure network that is used and maintained year-round. So, what can Burlington learn from this even-snowier city?

This fall we challenged our staff to shake up their routines by replacing a trip they typically take by car with any other means of transportation. Our Development Manager, Laurie Keve, took us up on the challenge. Here’s her story!