The Department of Public Service invites all interested Vermonters to provide input on the standards the Department must create per Act 174 of 2016 for determining consistency of regional and municipal plans with state energy policy. The Department will host a forum to gather input on August 30, from 9 a.m. to noon, in Montpelier at the Vermont College of Fine Arts (Noble Hall). An online survey is also available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WMTZFF2. 

The safe and complete streets campaign is all about working with communities across Vermont to make roads in their towns work better for all. Recently, the Safe Streets Project in Brattelboro teamed up with the Brattleboro Department of Public Works and the Holton Home for elder care to ensure that residents of the home are visible when crossing the street. Read on to hear about how the pilot is helping a vulnerable community reclaim the road!

The Town of Waitsfield is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to provide engineering and design services for the development of the Waitsfield Pocket Park. The project involves design, permitting, and construction of a public pocket park in Waitsfield Village, along the Mad River, adjacent to the historic 1833 Big Eddy Covered Bridge.

It looks like Rep. Welch and Sen. Sanders are walk-bike advocates as well! On July 25th, both of the Vermont government officials signed on to a letter calling on the Department of Transportation to consider EVERYONE-- not just vehicles-- when measuring the performance of America's roads. And for that, Local Motion thanks you!

Recently, Local Motion got an inquiry from a contact at GMT (formerly CCTA) about the four-foot passing law.  They said a driver had asked why exactly it was necessary to give a minimum of four feet of clearance when passing someone on a bike.  We were so glad they asked!  GMT puts a major emphasis on safety, and bike-bus interactions are an area where special conditions apply.  Here's what we told them about why four feet is so important:

Saturday July 16 was a day to be remembered in Montpelier. Local Motion and friends gathered in front of the Golden Dome for fun and games, education and outreach on innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint, and of course...ICE CREAM! Then, that same afternoon, our amazing volunteers provided free valet bike parking for over 70 attendees of the Do Good Fest.

That's right, horses have equal access to the road! In Vermont, it is not uncommon to run into horse riders on your daily excursions. For most of us, the demeanor and needs of horses are unfamiliar. How should you behave in order to ensure the safety of both the rider and yourself? Here are a few helpful hints...

Not even a cold rainy day could stop a crew of cyclists from attending the Lake Monsters baseball game FOR FREE this past Sunday. Local Motion provided valet bike parking and safety tips, while a slew of other local organizations offered free helmets, bike check-ups, and escorted bike trains. The grand total of bikes checked into valet parking? An impressive showing of over sixty bikes! 

Rumor has it that North Avenue now has PROTECTED BIKE LANES. Check out these awesome photos of the pilot project on North Ave, and don't forget to try out the pilot for yourself! 

June 18 was a great day for Valet Bike Parking at the Farmers’ Market. Warm and clear skies augured well for a good turnout- how could you not bicycle to the marché on such a glorious day? Although only one volunteer, Katherine, had signed up by Friday, we had another volunteer, Paul, show up and report for duty. Armed with a stapler stuffed in his cargo pants pocket he leapt into service at the mere sight of two wheels...