Thursday, September 29, 2011

Cross VT Trail Association looking for Volunteers for trail work! Oct.2 and Oct. 22.

Cross VT Trail Assoc is looking for volunteers to help with trail days this weekend and the weekend of Oct 22 - to expand the bike/ped path in Waterbury in conjunction with Waterbury in Motion.

Sunday, October 2, 2011: Volunteer Trailwork Day, State Office Complex, Waterbury, VT
  • Location: in the morning, meet at the Hope Cemetery end, on Winooski Street, Waterbury, VT.
    During the day, just walk down the trail from Winooski Street, and you'll see the team. (You currently cannot enter at the State Complex end of the trail due to cleanup efforts.)
  • Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (drop by any time)
  • Details: Thanks to a generous grant from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and a partnership with Waterbury in Motion, we will start to expand and enhance the bike/pedestrian trail that runs behind the Waterbury State Office Complex.
  • Contact: If you'd like to help, please contact Greg Western Trail Programs Coordinator - Cross Vermont Trail Association. Cell phone: 802-655-6051 tel: 802-498-0079 ext. 2   web: www.crossvermont.org
Sunday, October 22, 2011: Volunteer Trailwork Day, State Office Complex, Waterbury, VT
  • Location: in the morning, meet at the Hope Cemetery end, on Winooski Street, Waterbury, VT.
    During the day, just walk down the trail from Winooski Street, and you'll see the team. (You currently cannot enter at the State Complex end of the trail due to cleanup efforts.)
  • Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (drop by any time)
  • Details: Thanks to a generous grant from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and a partnership with Waterbury in Motion, we will start to expand and enhance the bike/pedestrian trail that runs behind the Waterbury State Office Complex.
  • Contact: If you'd like to help, please contact Greg Western Trail Programs Coordinator - Cross Vermont Trail Association. Cell phone: 802-655-6051 tel: 802-498-0079 ext. 2   web: www.crossvermont.org
Tuesday, November 1, 2011:
  • Location: Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, 29 Main St, Suite 4, Montpelier, VT
  • Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Details: Meeting is open to the public, Anyone interested is invited to attend. For more information, contact Eric Scharnberg at 917-3898 or email eric@crossvermont.org.
  • Agenda and attachments: these will be posted ASAP.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Support Bike lanes for Montpelier NOW!


In recent weeks Montpelier Bikes has been working with Montpelier
Mayor Mary Hooper and Councilwoman Angela Macdonald Timpone in an
effort to secure funding for bike lanes in the city.  We're pleased to
say that they are in agreement on this, and will put an allocation for
this in the Capital Improvement Plan budget that is now being
formulated for the next fiscal year.

There will undoubtedly be significant trimming of this budget between
now and January when it is finalized, so the fact that it is in the
budget now is no guarantee.  This is where you come in.  You can help
make this happen in the following ways:

Residents of Montpelier:  Send an e-mail or a call to your city
council member NOW telling them that you support funding bike lanes in
the upcoming CIP budget.  We all know the benefits of this.  A
secondary advantage that the non-cycling public would like to hear is
that more bikes travelling in town can help reduce traffic congestion
and open up more parking spaces.  Council members' contact info may be
found at the following link:    http://www.montpelier-vt.org/page/264/Council-Members.html
.

Everyone:  Attending Montpelier City Council meetings in support of
this will be helpful throughout this process.  This Wednesday's
meeting, (the 28th) will include the first presentation of a rough
budget, and it will come up from time to time this Fall.  Specific
times for public comment will likely be in January.  Please spread the
word about this to other cyclists.  Letters to the editor of
newspapers are helpful.  Your support in words and by your presence in
council chambers will be key in making this successful.  Please stay
stay tuned to help with this effort!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Speak Up For City-wide 25mph Speed Limit in Burlington!


Help change the culture of Burlington's streets!
Keep_Kids_Alive_Drive_25

Whether you live, work or play in Burlington, please speak up for a 25mph city-wide speed limit.
25 MPH CITYWIDE SPEED LIMIT PUBLIC HEARING
7:30 pm on September 28, 2011
Contois Auditorium
At this meeting, the Public Works Commission will hear public comments and they may even vote that night.  Your participation is invaluable!

Keeping traffic moving at a slow constant speed is much safer than traffic going fast, stopping, and going fast again.  A city-wide 25mph speed limit is one of the most important policy decisions the City will make this decade. Some main roads will have higher speeds (North Avenue, Northern Connector, Shelburne Road, etc) but everything else will be 25mph.  Chapin helped start this discussion 12 years ago when he was on the City Council and passed a resolution calling for a city-wide speed limit.  Now we need your help to make it happen.  Want more info?  Click here and scroll down.

Vehicle speed determines how severe car/pedestrian crashes will be.  The chance of a pedestrian dying when struck by a car is 9 times greater at 30mph than at 20mph. Slow streets are safe streets.
Impact_Speed_and_Pedestrian_Fatalities

Here are background materials from the City of Burlington website:
BACKGROUND
A major component of the Transportation Plan is a shift to a "complete streets" strategy. Streets are classified as Complete Streets, Transit Streets, Bicycle Streets, Slow Streets, State Truck Routes, and Neighborhood StreetsClick here to view a map of the Transportation Plan street system.

The Transportation Plan recommended that all Slow Streets become 20 mph and all other streets become 25 mph unless otherwise posted. During review of the draft Transportation Plan by the various Commissions and Committees, discussion largely focused on which streets should be "otherwise posted."

Although the Transportation Plan recommended 20 mph for the Slow Streets between and including Pearl to Main Streets and South Winooski Avenue to Lake Street, a portion of that area is outside of the Designated Downtown Development District. Under state statute, only streets within this designated district may have speed limits lower than 20 mph. To still allow for an east-west street as a boundary line, we are recommending 20 mph speed limits between and including Pearl Street to Main Street and South Winooski Avenue to Lake Street, except Battery Street (recommended 25 mph) and Church Street (remain 5 mph). The speed limit on Battery Street would be further evaluated as part of a future corridor study.

Outside of the downtown Slow Streets, the broad focus was on the Complete Streets. The Transportation Plan recommended Complete Streets undergo detailed planning through future corridor studies (see Colchester Avenue described above). Using this approach, we are recommending that the 4-lane and arterial segments of Complete Streets that have not yet been the focus of a corridor study remain 30 mph. The speed limit would then be reviewed as part of the future corridor studies. This includes North Avenue between the Rt 127 entrance/exit ramps and Plattsburg Avenue, and Shelburne Street between the South Burlington town line and Locust/Ledge Street. We are also proposing Plattsburg Avenue remain 30 mph and be included in the North Avenue corridor study.

Lastly, we are not recommending changes for streets that have current speed limit exceptions. This includes the Northern Connector/Rt 127 and Church Street.

SUMMARY
The general concept for our recommended speed limits and the streets excepted from this is to envision entering Burlington at a higher rate of speed, then decreasing travel speeds on the approach to downtown.

Our recommendation to the Public Works Commission will include a 25 mph speed limit on all Burlington streets, except:
  • 30 mph speed limit would remain on 1) North Avenue between the Rt 127 entrance/exit ramps and Plattsburg Avenue, 2) Plattsburg Avenue, and 3) Shelburne Street between the intersection of Locust/Ledge Street and the South Burlington town line
  • 50 mph speed limit would remain on the Northern Connector/Rt 127
  • 35 mph speed limit would remain on the Northern Connector/Rt 127 beginning 500' south of Plattsburg Avenue north to the Colchester town line
  • 5 mph speed limit would remain on Church Street between Main Street and Pearl Street
  • 20 mph Slow Streets would be created in the downtown core, between and including Pearl Street to Main Street and South Winooski Avenue to Lake Street, except Church Street (5 mph) and Battery Street (25 mph)
Additional resources for the 25 mph citywide speed limit:

Victory: Bike/Walk Funding Saved for Now

From Localmotion.org

US_Capitol_paintingThis year, around $700 million of Federal transportation funds (less than 2 percent of total transportation dollars) will be spent on bicycling and walking. In 2012 that figure could have been a big fat zero.
Over the last 48 hours, Local Motion members joined over 50,000 advocates in contacting their Senators and successfully getting Coburn (OK) to withdrawl his amendment that would have eliminated the federal Transportation Enhancements program – the primary funding source for the past 20 years for sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, trails, etc. Ending this successful program wouldn’t have been safe or smart; wouldn't have been good for the economy or the environment; and would have been bad health policy and bad transportation policy.
With today's victory, funding for all federal transportation programs has now been extended to March 31, 2012.
Please thank Senator Sanders and Senator Leahy as they have been long-time supporters and continue to work for a multi-modal transportation future.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Burlington promoted to a Silver level ‘Bicycle Friendly Community’ by the League of American Bicyclists

Washington, D.C. – September 14, 2011 – The League of American Bicyclists names Burlington as a Silver level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) during their 2011 Fall awards announcement. “The League congratulates Burlington and all of our BFC winners for implementing successful, long-term bicycle plans and programs that provide quality of life improvements for their citizens,” said League President Andy Clarke. “Even in tough economic times it is clear that cities are choosing investment in bicycling as a key to building the places people want to live, work and visit.” These awarded communities now bring the total of BFCs across the country to 190 in 46 states.
The BFC award recognizes Burlington’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies. The BFC judges were particularly impressed with:
  • Dedicated advocates working in partnership with Public Works and Parks staff to improve biking programs and facilities
  • Plans for bike lanes on Pearl Street and Colchester Avenue
  • Volunteer-led secure bicycle parking at dozens of events in 2011
  • Burlington’s updated bicycle ordinances, approved by the City Council
  • Increased levels of bicycling in the city
  • Increased quantities and types of bicycle parking racks, including two in-street racks and 10 bicycle lockers in the Marketplace Garage
  • Local Motion’s ten initiatives, including award-winning Bike Recycle Vermont, the Safe Streets Collaborative, the Bike Commuter Training Program, and leadership on the Burlington Bike Path Task Force.
“We are proud of the roadmap that the Bicycle Friendly Community program provides and how Burlington is using it to build a Silver level BFC,” said Bill Nesper, Director of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program. “We are inspired by the tireless efforts of individuals and groups, from everyday cyclists to city leaders to build great communities for bicycling.”
The BFC program is revolutionizing the communities evaluate their quality of life, sustainability and transportation networks, while allowing them to benchmark their progress and work toward improving their bicycle-friendliness. The application to become a BFC is rigorous and an educational tool in itself; currently there are 190 of the 490 total applicants have a BFC four-year designation. The renewal process and four levels of the award – platinum, gold, silver and bronze – provide a clear incentive for communities to continuously improve.
To apply or learn more about the free BFC program, visit the League online at bikeleague.org/community.
About the Bicycle Friendly America Program
The Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, Bicycle Friendly Business and Bicycle Friendly University programs are generously supported by program partners Bikes Belong and Trek Bicycle’s One World, Two Wheels Campaign. To learn more about building a Bicycle Friendly America, visit http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/
The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of America’s 57 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org.
About Burlington Department of Public Works
About Local Motion

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

I bike - I vote! Time to take action now!


I Bike I Vote
It is time to Save Cycling

This year, around $700 million of Federal transportation funds, which in reality is less than 2 percent of total transportation dollars, will be spent on bicycling and walking.  In 2012 that figure might be a big fat zero.
We expect that in the next few days, Senator Coburn (R-OK) will ask Congress to eliminate the federal Transportation Enhancements program – the primary funding source for the past 20 years for bike lanes, trails, bike racks on buses, bike education etc.  This isn’t safe or smart; it’s not good for the economy or the environment; this is bad health policy and bad transportation policy. But they are going to try because they don’t think bicycling matters.
Even though bicycling projects create more jobs per dollar than highway-only projects and cutting enhancements won’t impact the deficit – the money just won’t be spent on bicycling – some Members of Congress want to  force us backwards to a 1950s highway-only mindset: as if oil embargoes, congestion, smog, the obesity epidemic and climate change never happened.
Now is the time to Save Cycling, so we are asking you to contact your Senators and urge them to support continued funding for biking and walking. Don’t let them take away this vital investment program for smart, sustainable, safe transportation choices.
Please Take Action today.
Thank You.
Click Here.
TAKE ACTION NOW!Enter Your Zip Code:

Monday, September 5, 2011

Heavy rain causing flooding in Vermont Sunday


BURLINGTON — Police in Burlington, Vt., say many streets have flooded in the city due to heavy rain and that drivers need to proceed with caution.
Police said some cars have gotten stuck in deep water in the area of Pine Street and Lakeside Avenue.
The National Weather Service says the rain was moving through the southern Champlain Valley and northwest and north-central Vermont on Monday afternoon. Weather spotters have reported an inch of rain in an hour in the Burlington and Underhill areas.
The weather service said the rain was moving south and east toward the central part of the state.
The weather service had said the rain would create a potentially dangerous situation and that areas hard hit by Tropical Storm Irene would be susceptible to flash floods.

Intro to Basic Bicycle Maintenance Workshop


Freeridemontpelier.org
Time
Wednesday, September 21 · 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location
Freeride Bike Shop
89 Barre Street
Montpelier, VT
This is a workshop for bicycle owners who want to know more about using and maintaining their bike. The workshop will be taught by Baerre Wyman. He plans to cover: finding the right bike for you, general up-keep, identifying the parts on your bicycle, brake systems, trouble shooting tubes/tires and basic emergency road repairs.

Please feel free to bring your bike to the workshop.

Sliding scale donation $5+ or ORE credits.

Registration is not required, but if you plan to attend, please email us at
freeridemp@riseup.net or leave a message here so we can get a rough count.http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=267727523246142

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Modern Mobility Mindshare at Maglianero, Sept 9 2011

Modern Mobility Mindshare Maglianero


If you’re new to Burlington or not familiar with the Art Hop that happens every year, it’s something to get excited for. It’s this time of year where you get to see all the amazing artists, craftsmen/women, designers and creatives and what they do day in and day out.Maglianero will be hosting the Modern Mobility Mindshare on Friday September 9th from 5 to 9 PM – a forum to discuss building cycling culture in Burlington, VT as well as some polo and tasty smoothies!
More info here.