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.

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:

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! 

In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene dropped massive amounts of rain on the Mad River Valley causing flooding damage to businesses, homes, and roadways in Warren Village. The Vermont Downtown Action Team (V-DAT) responded by helping the community identify needs and create conceptual layouts for pedestrian improvements and streetscape enhancements that increase safety, calm traffic and provide a sense of place on Main Street. This project presents an opportunity for a qualified consultant to bid on the design and engineering services for an innovative project to create shared space for all road users on Main Street in Warren Village...

As a recent transplant from Seattle, some of my most memorable cycling experiences were on a spectacular path known as the Burke-Gilman Rail-Trail. This amazing trail meandered through some of Seattle's most vibrant neighborhoods, passing parks, coffee shops, restaurants, and breweries, and beyond -- all the way into suburban enclaves dozens of miles out of town. And the best part about it? We can do the same thing, right here in Vermont!

Brattleboro's Safe Streets Project—a group that formed with support from Local Motion—organized a Safer Streets Forum on May 5.  Several dozen people turned out for a series of presentations and Q&A with town officials and representatives of various nonprofits.  Local Motion was honored to be a part of the event.  Read the news story in the Brattleboro Reformer.  If you're inspired to help, sign up here as a Windham County walk-bike activist!

Burlington is the smallest US city included in the Alliance for Biking and Walking's 2016 Benchmarking Report, a survey of the status of walking and biking across the country.  The report covers all 50 states and the 50 most populous cities in the country, plus a handful of small to midsized cities chosen because of the strength of the bicycling movement in that community. Thanks to the efforts of Local Motion and our statewide partners, Burlington has made the cut since 2014!  Read on to learn more about what this national report has to say about walking and biking in Burlington and across Vermont...