In partnership with the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and a number of other participating organizations and sponsors, the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission and the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission will host the 2018 statewide Vermont Walk/Bike Summit of May 4th, 2018 at the Barrette Center for the Arts through a partnership with Northern Stage in downtown White River Junction.

Richard's Ride will have something for everyone: from short family rides, to mountain bike trails, to roads ride varying in length from 15 to 70 miles! The ride will once again be staged out of Cochran's Ski Area in Richmond.

This is the Richard Tom Foundation's primary fundraiser of the year. It is how funds are generated to support young riders by giving them the resources needed so they can discover the adventure and joy of riding on trails and roads. It is how funds are generated to support educational and advocacy programs to advance the cause of safe roads for all who use them. It is also how the Richard Tom Foundation, friends and families get together to celebrate cycling and of course, Richard.

Registration will open soon.

A few days ago, we received an interesting email from an anonymous Burlington resident.  The email included a number of questions about the emerging bike network in Burlington.  We took this as an opportunity to take a deeper dive into some of the issues that have surfaced over the past six or eight months as Burlington has begun implementation of PlanBTV Walk Bike.  Read on to see what was asked—and how we responded.

Local Motion is excited to announce the selection of Karen Yacos as its new Executive Director. Yacos comes to Local Motion from Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit, where she worked with stakeholders across the country to create resilient water management strategies. She previously served as Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Keurig Green Mountain, and worked at ICLEI, the Seaside Institute, and the Orton Family Foundation, always focused on creating livable communities and healthy ecosystems.

Earlier this month, Senator Carolyn Branagan of Franklin County introduced a bill that would require people to register bikes and pay an annual fee for the privilege.  Here's a nice article from VTDigger that asks some pointed questions about what such a bill would accomplish and whether it is needed.  

We've been getting lots of questions from supporters about this bill.  What's the point of registering bikes?  Why was this bill introduced in the first place?  And most important, is the bill going anywhere?  Read on for answers!

In just one short hour, participants in our Basic Everyday Bicycling workshop learn:

• What gear you need (and don't need) to stay safe and comfortable
• How to make sure your bike is in good shape for commuting
• How to map out a route that fits with your available time and comfort level
• How to "read" the street and ride safely under a range of conditions

Cost is $5/person--includes lunch and a combo (front & rear) bike light set!

Register at the Milton Parks & Rec website: www.miltonvt.org/recreation

Hosted by Old Spokes Home

This is the class to take if you want to get rid of that annoying rubbing sound. Or perhaps you've noticed your brakes weaken over time and you want to adjust them or replace your pads yourself, but you're not quite sure where to start.

We'll overview various braking systems and their parts while explaining the basic principals that govern them all. Of course, feel free to ride your bike to the class, but we will not be working directly on participants' bikes.

FREE PIZZA.

If 10 or more people show up, one lucky attendee will go home with a $50 Old Spokes Home gift card. 

We appreciate you marking "Interested" or "Attending" via the Facebook event, but you must reserve your spot here to attend.

This workshop and pizza are made possible with support from our friends at Local Motion.

Note that this workshop is at Generator Makerspace off Pine St., not at Old Spokes Home or Old Spokes Home Community Workshop.

REGISTER HERE: donate.oldspokeshome.com/burlington/events/free-workshop-brakes/e162984

www.vtwalkbikesummit.com for more info.

Cindy Joy Pike of Bellows Falls died on July 22.  She was hit by a car as she crossed the street in West Brattleboro on July 21.  She was the fifth person to be killed in the last five years while walking in Brattleboro.  That means that this community of 12,000 has one of the highest per-capita pedestrian fatality rates in the country:  8.3 annual pedestrian deaths per 100,000 population, or three times the rate of the most dangerous metro area in the country (Orlando, Florida).  What's going on?

The League of American Bicyclists has launched a new initiative called "Bike Walk Action."  This national coalition of state bike-walk groups (like Local Motion) has come together to shape federal policy related to walking and biking.  Check out their latest federal bike-walk policy update webinar at this link.  It is from Caron Whitaker, a national expert who has been lobbying on our behalf on Capitol Hill for years.