I read most of this book on a bus ride to Boston. I was on my way to my daughter’s wedding. In the speech I prepared for the wedding lunch, I described my daughter running up and down a little hill as we sang "The Grand Old Duke of York." Right at the beginning of The Wind at my Back I came across this passage "That snowy Christmas we endured the long hours of faltering motorway traffic, staring mindlessly at blank fields and filthy cars, singing "The Grand Old Duke of York" over and over again to send our daughter to sleep, munching on turkey sandwiches."

(How Burlington's Accessible Outdoor Spaces Have Made it Easier for Me to Get Outdoors)

This op-ed was written by UVM student Abby Spires as part of a public communications service learning project.

Local Motion, Vermont’s statewide bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization, has six new board members: Carlton Bonilla of Winooski, Scott Cone of Pomfret, Marlon Fisher of Winooski, Mohsen Ghasemizade of Burlington, Mary Still of Winooski, and Adrian Tanguay of Essex Junction. Suzanne Kelley of Colchester is now serving as Board Chair. Suzanne says, “We are pleased to welcome our newest board members, who will help support and advance Local Motion’s mission to make walking, biking, and rolling safe, accessible and fun for all”.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation and Bennington County Regional Commission, along with participating organizations and sponsors, will host the statewide 2026 Vermont Walk/Bike Summit in Bennington on Friday, May 8, 2026. Below are two opportunities to be involved in the summit as a presenter or an award nominator.

I got my first bike when I was eight years old. It was a gift from my grandfather. He knew how important it is to own a bike. When he was a young man he worked in a coal mine in the English Midlands. On weekends he went for long rides. It got him out into the countryside away from the city. That is one of the things that my bikes do for me!

This op-ed was written by UVM student Aimee Byrne as part of a public communications service learning project.

As a student at the University of Vermont in Burlington, walking and biking is a big part of my daily life as well as my friends’ and it's an integral way for us to travel around the city and visit places like classes, jobs and friends' homes. As much as I enjoy using my feet and my bike to travel, it's also important for me to feel safe while traveling without a car through the city.

This op-ed was written by UVM student Tatum Lewis as part of a public communications service learning project.

Winter riding in Vermont is difficult, but there are many advantages to taking on that challenge.

This year, Local Motion worked with thousands of Vermonters to build a culture—and environment—where safety comes first. With support from the Agency of Transportation's Vermont State Highway Safety Office, we:

• Taught 10,173 youth hands-on bike safety through Bike Smart and reached over 10,559 students
• Delivered 55,547 hours of safety training
• Provided for free 1,489 safety tools including helmets and lights
• Supported 32 communities with walk/bike technical assistance, supporting local safety improvements and infrastructure planning
• Helped more than 7 towns implement new safety projects

Local Motion advanced Vermont’s commitment to safer streets and stronger communities through hands-on education, engagement, and technical assistance. With support from the Vermont State Highway Safety Office, we equipped thousands of Vermonters—especially youth and vulnerable road users—with the skills, confidence, and tools to travel safely by bike and on foot. Our programs not only changed behavior but also helped communities make lasting improvements to infrastructure and culture that protect all road users.

Keep reading to learn What these programs are, How we implement these programs, Who is affected by our programs, and When and Where our programs took place.