Out-Doors: Pedal into Spring
by Elizabeth Bassett,
March 24, 2011, pages 11-12.....

It’s that time again. Bikers scrape cobwebs off their steeds, dig out the helmet (no mouse droppings, excellent!), and pump up the tires. Maybe it’s time for a tune-up, too. They dodge piles of sand and potholes on the first outings of the season. But oh, the joy!

Swaps and Bike Maintenance
Earl’s Cyclery hosts “Vermont’s Largest Bike Swap,” Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1. Bring bikes to sell on Thursday or Friday. Check the website, earlsbikes.com, for a list of acceptable bicycles. In addition, at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 28, join Dr. Earl’s Maintenance Class, “your prescription for bike ailments.” Enrollment is limited and the class always fills. If you can’t wait until the end of next month for a deal on a bike, check the closeout page on the website.
As the days lengthen, bikes push skis aside at the Ski Rack. Each year the Ski Rack offers free weekly bike clinics that cover flat tire repair and basic maintenance. These will begin in mid-April and be posted on the website skirack.com. The Ski Rack’s annual bike swap is April 30 - May 1, with drop off Monday through Friday of the previous week.

Legislative Advocacy
Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition (VBPC) reports that the Shumlin Administration’s proposed budget increases bike/ped spending by 2%. This is an acknowledgement that human power is a form of transportation (biking, walking or running to work, school, shops, the movies, etc.) as well as an economic driver in Vermont. Among its legislative priorities, VBPC urges that 6% of the VTrans Safety and Traffic Operations budget be dedicated to bike/ped safety. This is proportionate to the 6% of all serious motor vehicle crashes reported to VTrans in the past 10 years involving a bicyclist or pedestrian.
VBPC urges bikers to contact it with a list of VTrans-maintained roads most in need of shoulder sweeping and repair. As you venture out on two wheels, take note of trouble spots but remember that VTrans only maintains about 20% of Vermont’s roads (Route 7 through Charlotte among them). Be as specific as possible about locations needing attention, as VTrans’ budget is limited. E-mail Nancy@VTBikePed.org. As always, the VBPC website, vtbikeped.org, is a great source for courses, legislative updates and upcoming special events.
The Local Motion website, localmotion.org, urges advocacy for H.198, the Complete Streets bill. It would change transportation policy to ensure that the needs of all users – pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and older drivers – are considered and accommodated in state and locally managed transportation projects. Safe, accessible routes help make travel safe for children, reduce obstacles for the elderly or disabled, increase opportunities to be active and healthy, and reduce greenhouse gasses.
Even in Vermont, one of the healthiest states in the nation, nearly 60% of adults are overweight or obese. Related medical expenses are equal to the state’s transportation budget. People who live in communities with safe bicycle and pedestrian networks exercise more.
Although not yet used in Vermont, some states are using a Health Impact Assessment (HIA), similar to an Environmental Impact Assessment, to evaluate new projects. As communities consider whether to permit a shopping center at the edge of sprawl, a new road, or expanded bus service, the health of the general population becomes one of the criteria.

VerMontreal Bike Tour
Local Motion organizes the annual VerMontreal Bike Tour. This year there are three flavors: a three-day tour to Montreal, and two four-day tours. One four-day itinerary adds a detour to the Monteregie region with an additional night at a hotel and spa in Granby before joining the three-day program. The other four-day trip heads west on farm roads enroute to Salaberry de Valleyfield and then follows canals and bike paths into Montreal.
Bikers pedal along Lake Champlain into the Quebec countryside and along La Route Verte. All three groups meet to participate in Montreal’s famed Tour de L’Ile.
The three-day trip begins on Friday, June 3, the four-day trips June 2. These trips usually fill quickly. More information is available at localmotion.org.
Get out the helmet and the pump. Seize one of these beautiful days and start riding.