This summer I turned 69. I am in the evening of my life. I hope the last part of my life will be as filled with light as this photo! I have had many years of biking and distance swimming. I have done a couple of centuries and a climb to the top of Smugglers Notch. My riding has taken me on thousands of miles of roads, mostly in northwestern Vermont. I have done many open water swims, including a four mile swim in Lake Champlain.

On a warm afternoon in Montreal’s Mile End, I step onto Rue Bernard and find myself immersed in something quietly radical: a street reclaimed for people. To my left, a half dozen café terraces bustle with chatting patrons awaiting their food. To my right, bursts of public art and spontaneous performances animate the walkway. There are flowers, shaded seating nooks, green spaces, and more.

And all around me: no cars. Not one.

On Saturday, August 16th, Colchester resident Michael Pickering was killed after being struck by a car on Mallets Bay Avenue. This is a tragedy for everyone involved — and it was entirely avoidable.

It was avoidable because Mallets Bay Avenue is a dangerous road.

I grew up in a working class neighborhood in Providence Rhode Island. My parents never owned a car and unlike other families in my neighborhood we went for walks. Sometimes we walked to a park or to a local grocery store where I could get an ice cream cone for ten cents! We were often accompanied by King, the neighborhood dog. Many of those walks were pleasant but sometimes I walked with my father to the liquor store where my mother expected me to prevent my father from buying hard liquor. We walked at night and I became obsessed with the shadows of street lights. As I walked between street lights the shadow of the pole in front of me got shorter and shorter while the one behind me got longer and longer. My father asked me why I kept looking behind us as we walked but I did not tell him.

This past spring, our Outreach & Logistics Specialist Daniel Liguori took part in a League Certified Instructor (LCI) training down in New Haven, CT. LCI training sessions are run through the League of American Bicyclists, which is a nation-wide group that is making biking an easier and safer option for more people.

Ever stop to think about the little ramp at the end of a sidewalk?

Curb cuts might seem ordinary nowadays, but when they first came around they were anything but.

Before curb cuts, people who used wheelchairs or other assistive devices would have to find a driveway and roll their way down the street to cross an intersection. This was —obviously—unsafe.

Riding my bicycle creates a special kind of knowledge. On a bicycle I am exposed to many aspects of the environment that would be closed off to me in a car. This is not always positive! Wind, snow, cold and rain are uncomfortable and traffic can be dangerous, but I would always rather be on a bike than in a car. In John Berger’s book Pig Earth, he describes the life of peasants in the French countryside. The peasants have an extremely intense awareness of the land because they depend for their survival on the food they can grow and gather. Indigenous people often have a very refined sense of their environment. Although they may well love the land, their knowledge of it is very practical. They can perceive things that are invisible or inaudible to other people. Traditional Polynesian navigators can sail from one island to another guided only by wind, smells, and an acute perception of the water. In a similar way, a cyclist must be aware of their environment to navigate and survive. Every time I get on my bike I have to watch and listen to traffic, keep an eye out for potholes and adapt to changing weather.

by Betsy O'Grady, student in the Spring 2025 UVM Public Communications class.

Believe it or not, choosing biking over vehicular transportation may be the solution to decreasing high rates of stress and anxiety many Americans face today. The simple act of biking offers a powerful yet often overlooked remedy for enhancing mental well-being. For many Americans, the daily troubles of sitting in traffic, navigating busy roads, and dealing with road rage has become a key source of frustration and exhaustion. Studies have shown that long commutes by car are correlated to higher stress levels, increased risk of depression, and decreased overall life satisfaction. Meanwhile, those who choose to bike instead report feeling happier, more energized, and less stressed. Not only is biking a form of transportation, it’s a natural mood booster. It provides a connection with the environment and makes exercise a mindless activity. As car dependency continues to be the norm for transportation in the United States, it’s essential to recognize the mental health benefits of choosing two wheels over four.

Celebrate the summer by biking, walking, and rolling all over Vermont!

A bicycle is a good vehicle to use if you enjoy taking photographs. A car can cover a lot of territory but stopping is sometimes a challenge. I often take photographs of the rising sun from the bridge between Burlington and Winooski. Those shots would have been almost impossible if I had been riding in a car instead of on my bike. I have also taken many photographs from the Colchester bike causeway, a place where you can’t drive a car! Walking is another good way to take photos but a bike gives me a wider range than walking. I have taken photos in much of northwestern Vermont.