By Susan Grasso, Complete Streets Associate 

Day 1 of the LAB National Bike Summit took place on a beautiful sunny and warm day in DC with cherry blossoms abounding - a real taste of spring! I borrowed my daughter's bike for a safe and pleasant 2 mile ride to the National Union Building (which is next to the amazing National Portrait Gallery), took advantage of the League's pop up indoor valet bike parking, and began a full day of sessions in the LAB Active Transportation Leadership Institute (ATLI). 

City Market Parking

On January 5th I noticed that someone had parked right in front of the bike racks at City Market.  There are white parking lines there, but itshould be obvious to anyone that it is not a parking space because if someone parks there it blocks access to the bike rack.  City Market could help the situation by removing the white lines and or putting up a sign.  I went inside and reported the situation to someone at Customer Service.  He notified security but in the meantime I went back out and took a photo. At that point the driver and a friend came out.  I explained the situation and the driver apologized and said she would not park there again. The friend said, “I don’t expect to see bike riders in January.”  I said, “Have you noticed the weather lately?”  I could also have pointed out that my bike was not the only one in the rack. More and more people are riding in the winter.  After mentioning it a few times last year, City Market now does a good job removing snow from around the bike racks.  I am working on having the YMCA do the same thing.

Local Motion, the Burlington Walk/Bike Council, and Old Spokes Home are excited to provide the Burlington community with insight into 2023 City Council candidates' perspectives on questions related to walking, biking, and rolling.

Winter Ride

On December 18th I rode from my house in Winooski to Scout coffee shop in the center of Winooski. I met five guys who I know from the Winooski Bike Gang which meets every Wednesday during the warmer months of the year.  We hung out for a while drinking coffee and I told the story behind some of the clothing I was wearing, including my Donegal salt and pepper tweed vest.  It is called salt and pepper because of the black and white specks scattered against a tan background.  Originally the vest was a jacket but I had someone remove the sleeves. That provides more freedom of movement for my shoulders.  Other people told stories about something they were wearing.  It had snowed a few days ago, so I was riding my fat bike.  As we set off I felt a burst of gratitude to be riding with this group.  Every once in a while I experience  feeling of great warmth and pleasure when I do a group ride.  For someone who often felt like a misfit, finding a community is especially important. After the warm weather ends I am usually riding on my own.  I thanked everyone for coming.  We went up Riverside Avenue and took a meandering route to Battery Park where we took a group photo.  We ended up at Reuban James where we watched the World Cup finals.  I don’t spend much time in bars, and I don’t usually hang out with guys so it was an unusual Sunday Morning. I had to go to work later in the day so I drank orange juice instead of beer.  

By Dr. John Raser

This year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in Saint Johnsbury. We are fortunate to have such a strong community hospital in our region. It is an institution with strong leadership and committed staff, and one with which I am proud to be affiliated.

Wondering how to beat the cold and still enjoy your time outside this winter? In this blog, we’ve compiled tips, tricks, and safety considerations from our staff and Facebook community to stay safe rolling, walking and biking all winter long.

Looking back on a great year! 

Early Morning Ride

As the weather gets colder, and it gets dark earlier in the day, I have shifting some of my rides to the early morning.  On the evening of November 3rd I got ready for a ride the next morning.  The more I prepare ahead of time, the less I have do early in the morning.

Local Motion and Old Spokes Home came together this week to celebrate the donation of 38 great and useful bikes that will be made available at minimal cost to members of the greater Burlington Community. 

Local Motion is excited to announce the appointment of Christina Erickson as its new Executive Director. 

Erickson comes to Local Motion following a thirteen-year tenure at Champlain College. Most recently, Erickson served as the Director of Service & Sustainability, a role in which she directed campus sustainability projects, along with a service-learning program aligned with UN Sustainable Development and campus sustainability goals.