A free Intro. to Bike Safety and Maintenance Class for Kids will take place on Monday, April 14, 2014 from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Simsbury Public Library Program Room. The class is for kids ages 12-16, and will focus on the basics of bike safety. Kids will learn how to change a tire, chain, cable, take care of brakes, proper helmet fit and high visibility clothing.
Pre-registration is required. Call the library at 860-658-7663 to register. Looking for a fun, free and very valuable activity for your 12-16 year old over April vacation. The Library is offering Intro. to Bike Safety and Maintenance for Kids! The CT Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board's 2013 Annual Report emphasizes implementing complete streets policies throughout Connecticut, and of course, Bike Walk Connecticut concurs. Kudos to Francis Pickering for this year's eye-catching design. Bike Walk CT is once again offering the League of American Bicyclist-designed Traffic Skills 101 program, a day long course to give cyclists the skills, knowledge and confidence to handle on-road cycling in traffic.
WHEN: Sunday, March 30, 2014, 8 a.m. (arrive by 7:45) WHERE: Hartford, CT COST: Bike Walk CT members: $50; Nonmembers: $65 INSTRUCTORS: Tony Cherolis, League Certified Instructor (LCI) About Traffic Skills 101 TS 101 is a day long course consisting of approximately 4 hours in class and 4 hours outside, split between skills drills and an on-road ride. Among other things, you will practice starting, stopping, shifting and scanning, learn how to ride in traffic, including proper lane and intersection positioning, and crash avoidance techniques. You will practice all that you learn on a ride through the streets of Hartford. A minimum of 10 registrants is needed for the course to be held. Class size is limited to 20, so register early! Successful completion of this course is a prerequisite for taking the League Certified Instructor course. The League of American Bicyclist's LCI course is scheduled for April 17-19 in Simsbury, CT. (More) . > REGISTER FOR TS 101 ON MARCH 30, 2014 A report released this month by U.S. PIRG titled "A New Course: How Innovative University Programs are Reducing Driving on Campus and Creating New Models for Transportation" reports that universities and colleges across the U.S. are working to encourage students, faculty and staff to decrease their use of personal vehicles.
Universities and colleges are working to promote alternative ways for commuting, including providing free or discounted transit passes, creating programs to promote use of bicycles, building new biking and walking paths and creating ridesharing initiatives. Read the full report here. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal joined original sponsor Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and 9 co-sponsors in supporting a revision to the federal highway safety improvement program. To send a message thanking him for his support, click here.
The bill directs the US Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish performance measures for states to use to assess significant reductions in the number of serious injuries and fatalities specifically for both motorized and nonmotorized transportation. Senator Blumenthal's support for S 1708 comes on the heels of the release of the Most Dangerous Roads report from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. That analysis reported 111 pedestrian deaths on Connecticut roads from 2010 - 2012. Read more about federal Senate Bill 1708 at the LAB website, click here to tell your Congressperson to take action. The Hartford Courant reports that several bicycle and pedestrian friendly construction projects are planned for Manchester in 2014.
One of the projects includes the installation of a concrete arch that will continue the Cheney Rail Trail and connect Center Springs Park to Broad Street. Several areas will see replaced sidewalks, as well as sidewalks added to various areas. The Hale Road bike path will also get a resurfacing. View all the planned improvements listed in the article here. In coordination with National Bike Month in May, Bike to School Day will take place on May 7, 2014. Get your school involved by holding a Bike to School Day event this year. The first-ever National Bike to School Day took place in 2012. The event builds on the Walk to School Day that is celebrated in October each year. National Bike to School Day provides an opportunity for schools across the country to join together to celebrate and to build off of the energy of National Bike Month. Learn more about planning a Bike to School Day event here. Register your Bike to School Day event here. Bike Walk Connecticut is the Connecticut State Coordinator for the National Bike Summit being held in Washington, DC on March 3-5. MaryEllen Thibodeau, the Coordinator, is scheduling meetings with our state's senators and representatives on Capitol Hill for all state residents attending the summit. MaryEllen and and Bike Walk Connecticut President Laura Baum will represent you and every Bike Walk Connecticut member when they meet with our elected officials or their aides responsible for transportation issues. They will discuss pending legislation like the Safe Streets Act (see below) and why continued federal support for biking and walking is critical.
The League of American Bicyclists recently sent its members the following message: Last year, the Safe Streets Act (HR 2468) was introduced in the House—and the bill is gaining momentum. Last week, the same bill (S 2004) was introduced in the Senate. The timing is critical because both the House and Senate are drafting transportation bills—and we need complete streets to be included! We were so close in 2012, when the Senate passed a bill including complete streets—but it was stripped out by the House. With bi-partisan support in the House and growing support nationwide, now is the time to make it happen in 2014. Since most of the funds spent on bike projects in Connecticut come from the Federal Government, it's essential that Bike Walk Connecticut be involved on the federal level. We take this role seriously and regularly commit resources to this effort. Roger Geller, a nationally renowned advocate for developing bicycle and pedestrian friendly cities and towns, will speak at the West Hartford Town Hall on Tuesday, February 18 at 10 a.m.
Geller has over 19 years of experience managing bicycle capital, planning and policy projects. He has an in-depth knowledge of design, policy, planning and maintenance relating to bicycle transportation. He has led training and classes on bikeway planning, policy and design. The meeting is free and open to the public. West Hartford Town Hall is located at 50 South Main Street. The meeting will be held in Room 400. The Plainville Greenway Alliance and the Farmington Valley Trails Council are looking for volunteers to join a team to help on the "Close the Gap Project." They are looking for volunteers that can commit up to one day per work week for about six months. Volunteers will participate on the project management team to support the trail designer. Volunteer tasks would include things like public relations, running errands, collecting data, community organizing, logistical support, arranging displays, updating social media and managing project schedules. For more information, contact Jim Cassidy at 860-302-0596 or e-mail james_p_cassidy @mac.com. |
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