Congratulations to our friends in NEW BRITAIN, NEW HAVEN, and SIMSBURY! Connecticut now has two more Bike Friendly Communities! New Britain and New Haven are newly ordained BFCs at the Bronze level, while Simsbury earned an upgrade from Bronze to Silver. Connecticut's other BFCs include South Windsor, Farmington and West Hartford. From the League of American Bicyclists' Announcement: 69 Million Americans Now Live in a BFC Today the League of American Bicyclists announced 55 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC). With this new round, 69 million people live in a Bicycle Friendly Community as the program extends to all 50 states. These new awardees join a leading group of more than 325 communities in all 50 states that are improving health, safety and quality of life in cities and towns nationwide. ● Click here to view the list of all Bicycle Friendly Communities ● Click here to view the list of Honorable Mentions “Visionary community leaders are recognizing the real-time and long term impact that a culture of bicycling can create,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “We applaud this new round of communities for investing in a more sustainable future for the country and a healthier future for their residents and beyond.” The BFC program provides a roadmap to building a Bicycle Friendly Community and the application itself has become a rigorous and an educational tool in itself. Since its inception, more than 800 distinct communities have applied and the five levels of the award – diamond, platinum, gold, silver and bronze – provide a clear incentive for communities to continuously improve. To apply or learn more about the BFC program, visit www.bikeleague.org/community.
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Here's a preview of some of our very special items you'll be able to bid on at our Annual Dinner and Silent Auction on November 24. South Africa Photo Safari for Two Back by popular demand! Experience the magic of South Africa on a photo safari for two in the Zulu Nyala Game Reserve. This package includes 6 days/nights in luxury accommodations, 3 meals per day, and 2 open land cruiser game drives with experienced guides per day. This package does not include airfare, beverages, side trips, phone calls or gratuities. You have 2 years from the purchase date to use this trip. To learn more about this great adventure, click on the video at left or visit www.zulunyalagroup.com. Proceeds of the auction of this safari package will be shared equally between Bike Walk Connecticut and Zulu Nyala. Certificate FAQs Zulu Nyala website Explore Rhode Island! Enjoy great biking and beaches during a Monday-Friday stay in Ross and Chris Skelly’s beautiful 3 bedrooms, 3 bath home located in Wakefield, RI. Walk or ride to Green Hill beach or take a short drive to other beaches, including South Kingstown (donation includes use of parking pass), Charlestown Breach way, Scarborough, Narragansett and others. Kayak or canoe in nearby salt water pond. Explore nearby Newport, Narragansett and Block Island by bike, car or on foot. After a busy day, relax on the screened in deck as you enjoy your dinner and drinks. Choose any Monday-Friday in June or September, 2015 excluding Labor Day by arrangement with owners, Ross and Chris Skelly 860-561-4530. Please reserve your week by December 31, 2014. No pets please. Click here for more photos of this home at 48 Maple Drive, Wakefield, RI. Martha's Vineyard Weekend Beat the summer crowds and spend a wonderful 3 day, 2 night weekend (Fri, May 15- Sun, May 17, 2015) at John & Eileen Leo's beautiful Martha's Vineyard home located in the Katama area of Edgartown, close to South Beach. Whether your preference is to explore historic Oak Bluffs, the beautiful homes of Edgartown, the scenic fishing village of Menemsha and the cliffs of Gay Head on your bicycle (there are over 100 miles of beautiful roads for cycling) or to walk on the beautiful beaches, there is plenty to do for everyone. This 3 BR, 2 bath home sleeps 6 and has everything to make your weekend a memorable one. For further information and pictures please visitwww.homeaway.com. Use reference # 112078. The winning bidder should contact John Leo at j.leo@comcast.net or (860) 550-1448 to make arrangements. Bike, Hike, Ski or Paddle Weekend on Bantam Lake! Enjoy Bantam Lake, and the beautiful Litchfield area from this direct waterfront home located on Bantam Lake's Deer Island. Deer Island offers low traffic private roads and passways for family friendly walking and biking, and the lake area and Bantam River are exceptional retreats for canoeing, kayaking, and biking through the Litchfield hills. The auction winners enjoy a three night, four day, long weekend, and the dates are flexible from November, 2014 through May 17, 2015. During the winter, the lake is quiet and secluded, and cross country skiers make their way across the lake to the 35 miles of trails at the White Memorial Conservation Center. During the spring, the bicycles come out, and there are infinite loops from a ten-mile ride around the lake, to centuries meandering throughout beautiful northwest Connecticut. The house has four bedrooms, each with queen sized bed, and there are 2.5 baths with a washer/dryer. Please no pets or smoking. The house sits 20 feet from the water, and there is nothing better than a relaxed morning coffee on the deck, as the rising sun colors the lake. Get your family or group together, and enjoy an active or relaxed weekend on the lake, and bid high to support Bike Walk CT! Two Round Trip Coach Tickets for Domestic Travel Need a getaway? This auction item is for two round trip coach tickets for any domestic travel destination. Start packing! Donated by Aetna. Here's a Sneak Peak at Some Other Auction Items!
Bike Walk Connecticut's big Annual Dinner and Silent Auction is coming up on Nov. 24 at Central Connecticut State University.
Bike, walk, bus or carpool! The 2014 Bike Walk CT Annual Dinner and Silent Auction will be held at: Central Connecticut State University Student Center/Alumni Hall 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06050
The Farmington Valley Trails Council will hold its Annual Meeting on Friday, November 14th, at 7:00 pm. It will be held at the Avon Senior Center at 635 West Avon Road, (the Sycamore Recreation Area) Avon, CT 06001. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served. The program will consist of FVTC President Bruce Donald giving the year-end business report and updates on trail construction and other initiatives and news. Mr. Donald and the Officers and Directors will take any questions from the public.
Following the business portion of the program we are very excited to present a talk by Nicole Freedman, the "Bike Czar of Boston" and a former professional cyclist and member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team. A Massachusetts native, Freedman attended Stanford and MIT before cycling for the Shaklee, Charles Schwab, Credit Suisse, RONA and Basis professional racing teams. In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, she competed in the women's road race. That same year she won the U.S. National Road Race. In 2007 she became the head of the "Boston Bikes" initiative for the City of Boston under then Mayor Thomas Menino. After a brief hiatus in Maine, she returned to her position as Director of Bicycle Programs for the City of Boston in early 2013. Boston Bikes was launched in 2007 with the goal of transforming Boston into a world-class bicycling city. At that time, Boston had been rated three times as the worst cycling city in the country by Bicycling Magazine. Today, Boston has officially gained recognition as one of the great cities for cycling in the United States, heralding in a new era for bikes in Boston. Nicole's leadership has increased ridership and safety and initiated a myriad of projects that will fascinate interested listeners. Farmington Valley Trails Council www.fvgreenway.org Register To Attend Creative Cities Conversation There's an iQuilt Partnership Creative Cities Conversation with Leslie Koch, President and CEO of the Trust for Governor's Island, on Wednesday, November 12, at TheaterWorks at 6 pm, with a reception at 5:30 pm. Please register to attend. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Free parking is located behind TheaterWorks. The lot can be accessed from Ann Uccello to Hicks Street. Doug Suisman, architect of the iQuilt Plan, will lead the discussion. Learn more about Leslie in this New York Times article. To register for this iQuilt Forum click here. When Governing magazine starts running feature stories on active transportation, you know we're making some headway on raising the profile of walking and biking.
Governing ran this story on November 4 about the recent Governors Highway Safety Association report, which called attention to an increase in cyclist deaths. While bicyclists killed in motor vehicle crashes increased in 22 states between 2010 and 2012, six states – California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Michigan and Texas – represented 54 percent of all fatalities. In 2012, Florida had the highest proportion of motor vehicle related deaths that were bicyclists (5 percent), followed by California (4.3 percent) and Massachusetts (4.3 percent). Governing says the GHSA analysis caused an uproar among bike advocates. Read Governing's coverage here. Bike Walk Connecticut issued a measured response when asked for a CT by the Numbers story: "The nationwide increase in cyclist fatalities on the road is tragic, but unsurprising, given the growth of the driving population and the number of cars on the road. Add to that the very real problems of distracted driving, aggressive driving, and street designs that put cyclists and pedestrians at risk. This us why we need complete streets, much better enforcement of speeding, distracted driving, and share the road laws, and the vulnerable user law that Connecticut just enacted." CT By the Numbers story Governing magazine story GHSA’s Spotlight on Highway Safety: Bicyclist Safety report |
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