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. 

The Vermont uniform crash report form gets tweaked just about every year in response to requests from law enforcement and others.  This year, it got a significant upgrade to bike-related fields.  This will begin to address a chronic problem with regard to data on bike crashes in Vermont:  way too many crashes where the bike-related factors are "other" or "unknown."  This is something Local Motion has been quietly but doggedly working on for the last few years.  Progress! 

On February 21, 2017, Governor Scott named Emily Boedecker as Commissioner of Environmental Conservation. “Emily is an inspired choice for this position,” said Eric Hart, President of the Local Motion Board of Directors. “She is enormously knowledgeable in environmental matters, manages people and finances with equal dexterity, and builds consensus and shared vision among groups with varying opinions. She has put Local Motion on a strong footing for continued growth, and I know she will serve our state well in this new role.”

We are excited to introduce Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks, a new guide from the USDOT Federal Highway Administration Bicycle and Pedestrian Program that will help make streets and roads in Vermont towns work better and be safer for everyone! The guide is a great new resource for advocates, municipal staff and leaders in Vermont's small towns and rural communities. It applies existing national design guidelines for safer streets and roads in rural settings and highlights small town and rural case studies -- even one from Vermont's own Lyndonville! 

Check out this sure-to-be informative, free(!) America Walks webinar series on building walkable communities. Coming your way on the second Wednesday of every month throughout 2017, experts as well as advocates and municipal representatives will present sase studies from around the country, and discuss what makes a city walkable and how to do it in your community.

Register NOW!

We've all seen it (and some of us may even be guilty of it ourselves) - the exasperated looking driver, coffee cup in one hand and a scowl on their face as they sit in traffic. Or perhaps it's the person sitting across from you on your bus who keeps looking at their watch and muttering about how they're going to be late to their meeting. Commuting is no one's favorite part of the day but inevitable for most. Is there a way to make it more enjoyable?

Upon hearing that she have been selected, Lindy Sargent said "I am thrilled to have won the new Trek bikes in the drawing as I am an educator and a Safe Routes to School program participate. I have traveled most of the roads in Orleans County and I bike commute to my job in the spring and fall months. I'm so excited to do so on my new bike!" Give like Lindy and you too could win.

Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront announced earlier today the re-opening of the treasured Burlington Greenway. The Burlington Greenway, formerly known as The Burlington Bike Path, has been under construction since mid-summer and been closed to the public for just as long.