Features that help make biking and walking safer have been installed across Burlington in many places this summer! And DPW isn't done yet, as several more safety features are being completed into this fall. These are all a part of the City's effort to create a network of connected streets where people of all ages and abilities can easily get around and feel safe doing so, as outlined in planBTV Walk Bike. Neighborhood Greenways are an important part of this--that is, streets with low vehicle volumes and speeds designed to prioritize bicycling and enhance conditions for walking. "The Wiggle" in the ONE is a great example of this, where folks of all ages and abilities can get from the NNE or Battery Park and the Waterfront to the top of the hill (UVM and UVMMC), downtown, or anywhere in between.

Below is a sample of the wonderful bike and walk infrastructure that the City of Burlington has or is in the process of completing this summer. Fear not, much more superb bike and walk infrastructure is planned for upcoming years to help complete a connected citywide network.

Local Motion will reinstate the Island Line Bike Ferry service for the 2018 season. The Vermont Agency of Transportation announced a joint effort today with, the Town of Colchester and Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to rebuild the Colchester Causeway, targeting early July for reopening. 

I am beginning a series about the complexity of riding a bike. I am interested in the many elements that go into a bike ride, and as I use a bike as my primary form of transportation, I've given these elements a lot of thought.

Vermont is home to "one of the country's most spectacular bike trails," according to a recent Washington Post travel piece, and we couldn't agree more! Local Motion owns and operates a bike ferry on a section of the trail, the Colchester Causeway, ferrying cyclists and their bikes from one side of the 200 ft "cut" to the other. Last year, more than 16,000 cyclists rode our ferry enjoying views of the Adirondack mountains to the west and the Green mountains to the east - at the same time! It truly is a spectacular ride and beloved by locals and visitors alike.

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.

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.

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?

We had another successful Learn to Ride class this past Saturday!  Almost 30 kids, ranging in ages 3 - 10, converged on Leddy Park in Burlington ready to Learn to Ride.  A good number of them were successful and almost everyone improved significantly!

Our Learn to Ride classes are getting themselves a following!  We had a family come back this year, because... 

Owning a bicycle is not a static experience. As my bike riding evolves, and my needs change and so does the bicycle I ride. Most daily practices change over time, sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly.