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Thanks to everyone for joining us at the Old State House in Hartford for Bike Walk CT's Bike To Work festivities on Friday. Special thanks to DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes for cycling in from West Hartford, and presenting DEEP's goals and initiatives to the Bike To Work crowd. Thanks also to our exhibitors - Watch for Me CT, CTrides, CTtransit, Bike MS, BiCi Co. Community Bike Shop, and AAA (who provided a SAG vehicle for any cyclist needing assistance riding to or from the event). Executive Director NewsBike Walk CT is pleased to announce that Susan Smith was recently selected as our new Executive Director and will be transitioning with current Executive Director Adina Giannelli over the coming month. Sue will begin her new role on Monday April 30, 2018. As Executive Director, Sue will be responsible for leading Bike Walk CT's operational activities, with emphasis on applying her skill sets to implement strategies and programs which support the organization's mission to make Connecticut safer and more appealing for cyclists and pedestrians. Sue has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Connecticut, in addition to two Master's degrees. Her career has included experience in engineering, budget management, program management, event planning, business efficiency, and communications. She is a League Cycling Instructor (LCI). She has served on the Bike Walk CT board of directors and led the Discover CT cycling events in 2016. In addition, she has unbound enthusiasm for encouraging and enabling the public-at-large to become involved in both cycling and walking. Please join us in wishing Sue success as she moves into this new role. We Have a New Home!We are pleased to announce that as of May 1 Bike Walk CT will have an office at 190 Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford. This will enhance our ability to support our state-wide activities and programs, while also being in close proximity to the State Capitol, Legislative Office Building, and key State agencies. May is Bike MonthMay is National Bike Month! Check out our Bike to Work page for information, including Bike to Work Day events near you. Don't see your event listed? Send us your info so we can post it (bikewalkct@bikewalkct.org).
Bike to Work Day celebrations were held at 21 locations all around the state on Friday, National Bike to Work Day.
For a sampling of the morning's activities, see photos below from the celebrations at Hartford's Old State House, attended by 80 or more, and UConn Health Center. For photos of Stamford's Bike to Work Week events, click here. And congratulations to members and bike to work pledgers Norman Stone of Southington and Amy Schwartz of West Haven, who won our random drawing for jackets from our friends at Patagonia!
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 Bike Walk Connecticut promotes active transportation and bike commuting all around the state, but especially on Friday, May 15, National Bike to Work Day. Bike commuting reduces traffic, avoids pollution, saves gas, and burns calories. More than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace, making bicycling a realistic, fun way to get to work. Rookies, veteran commuters and everyone in between are encouraged to pledge to Bike to Work then ride on May 15 at www.bikewalkct.org/bike-to-work. May is also National Bike Month, a month-long celebration of biking for fun, for commuting, for exercise and as a way to explore our communities. What: Bike to Work Day breakfasts and events are scheduled in cities, towns and at companies around the state. Most are on May 15. When: May 15, 2015, National Bike to Work Day Join Bike Walk Connecticut at the Old State House (WEST Lawn), 800 Main Street, Hartford, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Program at 8:15 a.m. Held Rain or Shine. Statewide Events: Other Bike to Work Day events will be held all across the state. For details, see www.bikewalkct.org/event-locations. As of May 14, Bike to Work celebrations will also be held at:
 We've added new Bike to Work Day celebrations and Meet Ups across the state. Clear your calendar now to participate in one this Friday, National Bike to Work Day! Bike Walk CT's own Bike to Work Day celebration is open to bike commuters and the public. Join us on the WEST side of the Old State House, between 7:30 am and 9 am. Program at 8:15 am. Pledge, then Ride! Bike Walk CT members who pledge are eligible for the drawing for 2 Patagonia coats! Read more: Bike to Work TOP 10 Excuses! Tips Bike Buddies Events Register Your Event MeetUps   Bike Walk Connecticut promotes active transportation and bike commuting all around the state, but especially on May 15, National Bike to Work Day.
Bike commuting reduces traffic, avoids pollution, saves gas, and burns calories. More than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace, making bicycling a realistic, fun way to get to work. Rookies, veteran commuters and everyone in between are encouraged to pledge to Bike to Work then ride on May 15. Pledge here. For more Bike to Work details, visit our Bike to Work page. May is also National Bike Month, a month-long celebration of biking for fun, for commuting, for exercise and as a way to explore our communities. What: Bike to Work Day breakfasts and events are scheduled in cities, towns and at companies around the state. Most are on May 15. When: May 15, 2015, National Bike to Work Day Hartford Event: Old State House (East Lawn), 800 Main Street, Hartford, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Program at 8:15 a.m. Held Rain or Shine. Statewide Events: Other Bike to Work Day events will be held all across the state. For details, see: http://www.bikewalkct.org/event-locations.html. Right now federal law incentivizes more driving by giving better benefits to people who drive to work, rather than bike or take public transit. Why are we incentivizing driving? This needs to change!
The Commuter Parity Act and The Bike to Work Act to make bike share memberships eligible for transit benefits and increase the bike benefit to $35 per month. In January 2014, transit benefits were cut almost in half, from $245 to $130 per month, while parking benefits increased slightly to $250. Meanwhile, the bike benefit stayed at $20 a month. Click here to learn more and take action with the LAB's handy new tool. A new CTfastrak bus was unveiled during a ceremony at the State Capitol on Monday. The ceremony was followed by a transit-oriented development tour of the CTfastrak bus rapid transit system.
During the ceremony, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman said: "CTfastrak, along with the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Program, will create opportunities for mixed-use transit-oriented development along two of the state’s most populated corridors, linking existing neighborhoods to employment centers. These transportation systems unlock the potential for TOD development that can support the creation of housing choice and vibrant commercial centers that allow residents to work, play, and shop without the need of a car." The bus that was unveiled will be part of a new fleet of hybrid diesel-electric buses that will begin operating in central Connecticut in early 2015. The buses will include 30-foot buses to provide neighborhood circulator service and 40-foot buses to operate connector routes. The main line service will be operated with 60-foot articulated buses that will begin to arrive in the fall. All the new buses will feature GPS tracking so riders can find out where their bus is, LED lighting and free WiFi service. Following the CTfastrak bus unveiling ceremony and press conference, officials took a transit-oriented development tour of the CTfastrak guideway. The tour began at the CTfastrak Downtown New Britain Station and followed the guideway through Newington, West Hartford and into Hartford. "  Stamford Mayor David Martin gets his first look at the bike given to him by the Stamford Downtown Special Services District - a highlight of just one of the many Bike to Work Day Events taking place around the state. While the bad weather and worse forecast did make a dent on Bike to Work Day pledges - bringing in 619 total this year compared to 687 last year - our estimates point to a lot more than that this year with some riders braving the rain and others changing their minds the day of and putting on a bike helmet.
What's more, the love of biking to work expanded into more organizations: while 2013 had more pledges who hailed from 176 employers, 2014 boasted fewer pledges from 207 employers, showing just how much strength is coming from small businesses in the state! Very special thanks to Kathryn Hauser of News 12 Connecticut, Gil Simmons and Teresa Dufour of WTNH 8 for mentioning Bike to Work Day on Twitter, during their live early morning television appearances, or both. Also kudos to Itsrelevant.com for covering Stamford's phenomenal Bike to Work Day Event (which featured Congressman Jim Himes as a speaker and mayor David Martin receiving a bike from the Stamford Downtown Special Services District), which is only one example of the great coverage of Bike to Work Day 2014 in Connecticut. Total Pledges: 619 Individuals at 207 different employers Prize Drawing Winners: Kevin Sullivan of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and Brenda Holloway, both of Hartford, were the Bike Walk CT members who came out victorious in our prize drawing of beautiful Patagonia jackets. Non-member winners were Kathy Manizza of Willimantic - who brightened Eastern Connecticut State University with her two-wheeled presence - and Paul Taino of East Haven, who freed up a parking spot at Stop & Shop by biking to work. Congratulations to all winners! Events: The weather did not curb the events planned this year as 25 were registered with Bike Walk Connecticut for 2014 - just as many as last year's sun-filled Bike to Work Day. Total Towns Represented: 146 towns were represented on the Bike Walk Connecticut Bike to Work Day Pledge - that's 86% of all Connecticut communities! Men and Women: 58% of pledges were men while 42% were women. Most Pledges: The Department of Children and Families again shows the most bicycle commuters pledging, with 146 participants collectively riding 424 miles. Walkers: Tracked primarily for state agencies, 108 adults pledged to walk to work on May 16. Longest Commute by a Newcomer: This year, one in five pledges were taking their first ride to work ever. While we congratulate every Connecticut resident trying bike commuting for the first time, we have to give special props to the pledge who had the longest trip: Dave McNeil, who pledged to ride 35 miles one way from Cheshire to Stratford! Longest Commute Overall: The one way trip of Chris Adams, who has a 60 mile trip from Old Saybrook to Hartford. Total miles ridden/gas money saved: Among all 619 pledgers: 4,257 miles. When one considers that the average car/light truck gets 23.6 miles per gallon, over 180.4 gallons of gasoline were saved on Bike to Work Day, which, assuming that bicycle commuters left their cars at home and by an estimated price of gas at $3.90 a gallon, means about $703.56 in gas savings for just one day - a lot of money that can be spent on other things. Top 20 Organizations - Ranked by BTW Day Pledges 1. Department of Children & Families: 146 pledges, 468 miles 2. Pratt & Whitney: 43 pledges, 306 miles 3. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection: 33 pledges, 313 miles 4. Department of Correction: 22 pledges, 340 miles 5. Trinity College: 17 pledges, 83 miles 6. Travelers Insurance: 16 pledges, 140 miles 7. Yale University: 15 pledges, 91.5 miles 8. Uconn Health: 11 pledges, 106 miles 9. Department of Public Health: 10 pledges, 76 miles 10. Department of Transportation: 9 pledges, 50 miles 11.(tie)United Technologies Corporation: 8 pledges, 126 miles 11. (tie) Department of Education: 8 pledges, 76 miles 13. Aetna: 7 pledges, 78.5 miles 14. Prudential Financial: 6 pledges, 72.4 miles 15. Department of Motor Vehicles: 5 pledges, 20 miles 16. UnitedHealth Group: 4 pledges, 28 miles 17. (tie) Department of Economic & Community Development: 3 pledges, 48 miles 17. (tie) Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co.: 3 pledges, 25.2 miles 17. (tie) City of Hartford: 3 pledges, 22.8 miles 17. (tie) Department of Administrative Services: 3 pledges, 12 miles 17. (tie) City of New London: 3 pledges, 22.8 miles Top Ten Organizations By MILES (one way) 1. Children & Families.Dept Of: 146 pledges, 468 miles 2. Correction, Dept Of: 22 pledges, 340 miles 3. DEEP: 33 pledges, 313 miles 4. Pratt & Whitney: 43 pledges, 306 miles 5. Travelers: 16 pledges, 140 miles 6. UConn Health: 11 pledges, 106 miles 7. Connecticut General Assembly: 2 pledges, 103 miles 8. Yale University: 15 pledges, 91 miles 9. Trinity College: 17 pledges, 83 miles 10. Aetna: 7 pledges, 78 miles Participating Organizations (No. of employees who took the pledge to ride to work/Total miles ridden/walked) Organization 3M: 2 pledges, 35 miles 4Health Group - Varibike North America: 1 pledge, 20 miles AAA Metals: 1 pledge, 0 miles Aetna: 7 pledges, 78.5 miles AHCC: 1 pledge, 3.5 miles Alstom Power Inc.: 1 pledge, 8 miles AOX - Northrop Grumman: 1 pledge, 5.5 miles ATT: 1 pledge, 13 miles Avon Middle School: 1 pledge, 4 miles Bank of America: 2 pledges, 18 miles Bausch Abdurahman Thampan Medd, LLC: 1 pledge, 7.5 miles Benidorm Bikes: 2 pledges, 21 miles Berlin Bicycle: 1 pledge, 16 miles Berlin High School: 1 pledge, 12 miles Bicycles East: 1 pledge, 13 miles Big Sky: 1 pledge, 8 miles Bike New London: 1 pledge, 13 miles Bike Walk CT: 3 pledges, 10.1 miels BlackBerry: 1 pledge, 3.5 miles Bloomfield's High School Harris Ag Ctr: 1 pledge, 11 miles Burns and McDonnell: 1 pledge, 21 miles Canberra Industries Inc.1 pledge, 12 miles Capital Community College: 1 pledge, 3 miles Capital Region Education Council: 1 pledge, 5 miles Capitol Region Council of Governments1 pledge, 12 miles CCMC: 1 pledge, 10 miles Cd3 Inc,.: 1 pledge, 30 miles CDC, Inc.: 1 pledge, 11.5 miles CDM Smith: 1 pledge, 12 miles CED Services: 1 pledge, 17 miles Center for Alternative Medicine, PC: 1 pledge, 13 miles Centerbrook Architects: 1 pledge, 8 miles Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency: 1 pledge, 9 miles Charlotte Hungerford Hospital: 1 pledge, 14 miles Child Care Services: 1 pledge, 9 miles Cigna: 3 pledges, 20.5 miles Citi Group: 1 pledge, 1.4 miles Citibank: 1 pledge, 5 miles City of Bridgeport: 1 pledge, 5 miles CIty of Hartford: 3 pledges, 26.8 miles City of New Britain: 1 pledge, 4.9 miles City of New Haven: 2 pledges, 3.2 miles City of New London: 3 pledges, 3.3 miles City of Norwich Ct: 1 pledge, 4 miles CLARCOR EMS: 1 pledge, 5 miles Coherent, Inc.: 1 pledge 14 miles Conair Corporation: 1 pledge, 3.5 miles Connecticut Judicial Branch/Client Security Fund: 1 pledge, 5 miles Connecticut Science Center: 1 pledge, 2.5 miles Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo: 1 pledge, 3.5 miles Consolidated School District of New Britain, SMS: 1 pledge, 10 miles Cornelio R. Hong MD: 1 pledge, 5 miles Corporate Translation Inc.: 1 pledge, 3.5 miles CRCOG: 2 pledges, 13 miles Creative Change Inc.: 1 pledge, 9 miles CT Children's Medical Center: 1 pledge, 5 miles CT DPH: 1 pledge, 7 miles CT Early Childhood Alliance: 1 pledge, 11 miles Cycling Sports Group: 2 pledges, 18 miles CyclingSavvy.org / Iamtraffic.org: 1 pledge, 6 miles Danny's Cycles: 1 pledge, 25 miles Darien Library: 1 pledge, 4.5 miles Dassault Systems: 1 pledge, 14 miles Daymon Worldwide: 1 pledge 3.5 miles DCF: 1 pledge, 0 miles DIYBIKING.COM: 1 pledge, 2 miles DSSD: 1 pledge, 0 miles EB: 1 pledge, 7.1 miles Electric Boat: 1 pledge, 5 miles ESPN: 2 pledges, 23.5 miles exellentes llc dba rivard opticians:1 pledge, 5 miles Fairfield Health Dept./Public Health Nursing: 1 pledge 1.5 miles Fairfield Ludlowe High School: 1 pledge, 3 miles Finalsite: 1 pledge, 4.5 miles First Class Properties Group: 1 pledge, 20 miles Frog Hollow Consulting: 1 pledge, 1.5 miles Fuss & O'Neill: 2 pledges, 25 miles Gen Re NEAM: 1 pledge, 24 miles General Dynamics Electric Boat: 1 pledge, 1 mile General Electric: 2 pledges, 35 miles George Weiss Associates: 2 pledges, 70 miles Gilead Sciences: 1 pledge, 5.5 miles Glastonbury Auto: 1 pledge, 0 miles Global Projects Consulting, LLC: 1 pledge, 10 miles Global-Spectrum CT: 1 pledge, 4 miles Greater Hartford Transit District: 1 pledge, 4 miles Habasit: 1 pledge, 2 miles Hamilton Sundstrand (UTAS): 1 pledge, 0 miles Hartford Hopital: 1 pledge, 18 miles Hartford Public Library: 1 pledge, 2.7 miles Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection & Insurance Co.: 4 pledges, 45.2 miles Healthtrax Fitness and Wellness: 1 pledge, 1.8 miles Healthy People & Places Consulting: 1 pledge, 1 mile HEI Hotels & Resorts: 1 pledge, 23 miles Holyoke YMCA: 1 pledge, 4 miles Horst Engineering: 2 pledges, 29 miles ING: 1 pledge, 11 miles INNCOM by Honeywell: 1 pledge, 17 miles IRIS: 1 pledge, 5 miles jaystar group: 1 pledge, 15 miles Karelia Health: 1 pledge, 11 miles Kents Hill School: 1 pledge, 0 miles Legrand | Wiremold: 1 pledge, 20 miles liberty collision: 1 pledge, 5.4 miles Lorca: 1 pledge, 1.5 miles Louis Berger Group, Inc.: 1 pledge, 14 miles Manchester BOE: 1 pledge, 15 miles Marion Manufacturing Company, Inc.: 1 pledge, 2 miles McElroy Deutsch: 1 pledge, 6 miles Mercer: 1 pledge, 20 miles MetLife: 1 pledge, 5 miles Michael J. Federico, CFP,EA: 1 pledge, 12.5 miles mikro: 1 pledge, 8.5 miles Milford, ECC /MBA&CJV/ Urban Roots Bridgeport: 1 pledge, 1.6 miles Mitchell Auto Group: 1 pledge, 5 miles Myst Wealth Advisors: 1 pledge, 10 miles Natura Medica: 1 pledge, 3 miles NHLSCP: 1 pledge, 2 miles NINA: 1 pledge, 5 miles Northeast Utilities: 2 pledges, 22 miles Norwich Community Development Corporation: 1 pledge, 3 miles not provided: 1 pledge, 2 miles Optum: 1 pledge, 15 miles Oracle Corporation: 1 pledge, 10 miles Orafol Americas Inc.: 1 pledge, 13 miles Patagonia Westport: 1 pledge, 5 miles PCX Aerostructures: 1 pledge, 5 miles Peru Opportunity Fund: 1 pledge, 2 miles Phoenix: 1 pledge, 8 miles planning, Conservation, and Development Dept. of: 1 pledge, 12 miles PQ Controls: 1 pledge, 4 miles Pratt & Whitney: 43 pledges, 306 miles Price Chopper: 1 pledge, 0 miles Prudential Financial: 7 pledges, 72.4 miles R. C. BIGELOW, INC.: 1 pledge, 0 miles Real Hartford, LLC: 1 pledge, 0 miles Regional Plan Association: 1 pledge, 2 miles REI: 2 pledges, 8 miles retired: 3 pledges, 17 miles Rogers Benefit Group: 1 pledge, 4 miles Ron Manizza Sales / Bianchi Bicycles: 1 pledge, 50 miles Rosebud Development: 1 pledge, 10 miles Scott Franklin & Associates: 1 pledge, 2 miles self employed: 7 pledges, 32 miles She3 Barre well-fitness Boutique: 1 pledge, 8 miles Sheldon Oak: 1 pledge, 2 miles Simsbury Bicycle Ped. Advisory Committee: 1 pledge, 5 miles SMC Partners: 1 pledge, 14 miles soci: 1 pledge, 0 miles Sodexo: 1 pledge, 0 miles St. Vincent de Paul Middletown: 1 pledge, 1 mile Stamford Downtown Special Services District: 1 pledge, 2 miles Stamford Insurance Group Inc: 1 pledge, 3 miles Stop & Shop: 1 pledge, 2.5 miles STRU: 1 pledge, 0 miles Subase Fire Department: 1 pledge, 0 miles SWRPA: 1 pledge, 2 miles The Bananaland: 1 pledge, 0 miles The Hartford: 1 pledge, 8.2 miles The Language Exchange: 1 pledge, 5 miles the lawn police: 1 pledge, 4 miles Thomas Hooker Brewery: 1 pledge, 7 miles Thomson Reuters: 1 pledge, 24 miles Thrivent Finacil: 1 pledge, 2.5 miles TO Design: 1 pledge, 4 miles Tolland Middle School: 1 pledge, 15 miles Tony's Bikes: 1 pledge, 13.5 miles Town of West Hartford: 1 pledge, 1.5 miles Town of Windsor: 2 pledges, 18 miles Travelers: 16 pledges, 140.2 miles Trident, an ITW Company: 1 pledge, 15.5 miles Trinity College: 17 pledges, 82.8 miles TTM Technology: 1 pledge, 2.5 miles UBS: 1 pledge, 4 miles UTC: 8 pledges, 126 miles UnitedHealth Group: 4 pledges, 28 miles University Of Hartford: 1 pledge, 1 mile Urban Oaks Organic Farm: 1 pledge, 9 miles UTRC: 1 pledge, 0 miles Vliet & O'Neill: 1 pledge, 14 miles Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art: 1 pledge, 1 mile Weekday Cyclists: 1 pledge, 0 miles Weiss Multi-Strategy Advisers LLC: 1 pledge, 20 miles Wesleyan University: 3 pledges, 3 miles West Hartford Public Library: 1 pledge, 2 miles West Hartford Public Schools: 1 pledge, 2 miles West Haven VA: 1 pledge, 3 miles Westinghouse Electric Co.: 1 pledge, 3 miles WFSB-TV3: 1 pledge, 5.5 miles Whittlesey & Hadley PC: 1 pledge, 7 miles Whole Foods Market: 1 pledge, 4 miles Willis: 1 pledge, 4 miles Windham Region Council of Governments: 1 pledge, 8 miles Xhale Assurance, Inc: 1 pledge, 10 miles Yale University: 15 pledges, 91.45 miles YWCA Hartford Region: 1 pledge, 3 miles |
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