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...

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! 

With summer in full force many of us are biking every chance we get. In the Montpelier Barre area, that just got a whole lot easier. Several weeks ago VTrans finished a redesign on the section of Barre-Montpelier Road from the Wayside Restaurant to the Barre City line. It's important to get out there and try it out. And after you do, whether you enjoyed driving or biking, be sure to provide comments to VTrans.

Provide Comments

Ignoring bicycles isn’t just a problem on our roads - it’s a problem in our numbers! Currently the US Department of Transportation doesn't measure road performance for anything but cars and trucks. To make our roadways safer we need better statistics on all users. Our national partners at Smart Growth America and PeopleforBikes are calling on the USDOT to #MakeMeCount and ensure that the quality of our nation’s roads is measured with cyclists in mind.

Sign the Petition

An important vehicular connection between Montpelier, Berlin, and Barre City is now also an important connection for cyclists. A resurfacing project on the portion of the Barre-Montpelier Road - from near the Wayside restaurant to the Barre City line - updated the corridor with new buffered bike lanes.  This stretch of road is notorious for rear-end, sideswipe, and left turn conflict crashes, which are reduced dramatically when two through lanes in one direction are replaced with a single through lane and a continuous left turn lane, also called a 'Road Diet'.

Learn More About "Road Diets"

A new green space in Brattleboro will make downtown an even better place to stroll and shop. Harmony Place will replace the space where Frankie's Pizza once sold slices with a large green, a stage, space for 150 seats, and much more that will make the space a destination for those who want to spend time in a welcoming public space.

My husband and I love finding great deals at garage and yard sales—we’ve found all kinds of amazing things in our adventures (brand-new Ibex shirt for $1, anyone?) As you can imagine, I’ve seen just about everything put out for sale on the tables (and yes, I did buy that bronze frog lamp.) One thing we see a lot are bike helmets. Sure, $5 for a helmet that looks in good shape seems like a great deal, but before you pounce on that fancy new helmet with squeals of triumph and joy, hear me out first....

Those who love Charlotte, whether they call it home or just a beautiful place to visit, have long dreamed of a walking and biking path that would connect Mt. Philo and Lake Champlain. And now, this dream is moving another step close to becoming reality. The Town of Charlotte is seeking qualified firms to provide planning services to identify issues associated with possible construction of this path connecting the two most popular destinations in Charlotte...