The town of Clinton will hold its fourth annual Bike/Ped Fest on Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include family-friendly activities such as a bike-decorating station, a parking lot parade, traffic-skills primer, bike-helmet fitting, bike maintenance checks and a Family Fun Ride. 

Registration for the Family Fun Ride is Free and all ages and ability levels are welcomed to participate. Helmets are required. 

The event will be held at the Clinton Town Hall, 54 East Main St. 

For more information, visit www.clintonct.org/bike-pedestrian-alliance.php.

National Bike to School Day is right around the corner—May 7, 2014. Schools, cities, bicycle groups, public health organizations and parents alike are organizing bike rides and bike trains to school to highlight and celebrate the benefits of choosing student-powered transportation to school.

There are 1,094 events scheduled throughout the U.S., including nine in Connecticut. Schools in Eastford, Simsbury, West Simsbury and Wethersfield are holding Bike to School Day events. 

There is still time to organize at Bike to School Day event at your school. Learn more here. 

The second Regional Safe Routes to School Workshop will take place on May 1, 2014 from 12:30-4p.m. at Cromwell High School, 1 Donald Harris Dr., Cromwell, CT. 

This workshop will dive into the goals of Safe Routes to School and provide the knowledge and tools you will need to implement a program at your school. 

Highlights of the workshop include: What is Safe Routes to School; Goals and History of Program; The Need for Safe Routes to School; Barriers to Walking/Biking to School; Health Impacts; Benefits of Walking/Biking to School; Discussion of the 5 E's and practical applications (Encouragement, Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Evaluation); A walk around the school to identify issues/solutions; Observation of school dismissal and discussion of key points to look for at your school; and How to start a Safe Routes to School Program at your school. 

RSVP by April 15 to Bridget Boucaud at 203-534-7862 or e-mail bboucaud@vnengineers.com. 

Are you an LCI in good standing with the League of American Bicyclists?  Are you interested in teaching occasional bicycle education classes for Bike Walk Connecticut?  

If so, we want to hear from you!   We're developing a list of instructor candidates so we can develop an expanded array of bike education offerings.

Click here to provide details.  Thank you!

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

The National Bike Summit, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, will be held in Washington, DC, March 3-5.  Join Bike Walk CT and other advocates, bicycle clubs and bike industry leaders to learn how you can work more effectively for bicycle friendly places.  

The summit—United Spokes: Moving beyond Gridlock—promises to be educational and energizing. The vast majority of funding for bicycle projects in Connecticut comes from the federal government and with another transportation bill on the horizon in Congress, it’s critical that our elected officials in Washington hear from us.  


For more information visit www.bikeleague.org.

Bike shops that are members of NBDA should contact NBDA about possible scholarships.  Contact MaryEllen Thibodeau, the Connecticut state coordinator for the summit, at mekthibodeau@gmail.com with any specific questions.

We hate to pest, but your donations really are a critical source of funding for our work. If you haven't already given this season, please make your donation today.

We became "Bike Walk Connecticut" in 2010. And what happened?  Connecticut moved up from 44th place in 2009 to 18th place  in 2013 on the League of American Bicyclists' Bike Friendly America state rankings--that's no accident. 

But we all know there's more work to do.  Your gift will help us keep making Connecticut a better place to walk and bike, with more advocacy, more education, more complete streets, and more bike-friendly communities, businesses and universities. Please donate today. Thank you!

P.S.  Make it monthly!  Paypal now makes it even easier to donate monthly.  Your gift of just $5, $10 or $20 a month will help provide Bike Walk Connecticut with the resources it needs to make even more of a difference. 

Don't like online giving?  You can always mail your check to Bike Walk Connecticut, PO Box 270149, West Hartford, CT  06127.

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, November 10, 9 am
WHERE:  Bishops Corner, West Hartford
COST:  Bike Walk CT members:  $50; Nonmembers:  $65
INSTRUCTORS:  Tony Cherolis and Christopher Brown, both League Certified Instructors (LCIs)

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.  Successful completion of this course is a prerequisite for taking the League Certified Instructor course.

A minimum of 10 registrants is needed for the course to be held.  Class size is limited to 20, so register early!