The Hour reports that the Sound Cyclists Bicycle Club donated signs to the city of Norwalk to help promote Connecticut's three-foot law. The law requires motorists to allow at least three feet of separation when overtaking and passing cyclists on the road. 

The plan is to post the signs in various parts of Norwalk, including Strawberry Hill Avenue and Calf Pasture Beach Road. 

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.

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. 

Bike coordinator for Portland, Oregon, Roger Geller spoke at the West Hartford Town Hall recently. Geller gave a presentation in his hometown on how Portland has become a model for other communities that would like to be more bicycle-friendly.

According to The West Hartford Press, Geller shared photos and information about Portland and its bikeways, which include bicycle corrals, pathways, bike lanes and even bike specific traffic signals. He also touched on the reasons why communities should support bicycling as a transportation mode. His reasons included: bicycling benefits the economy, business, health and the environment.

Geller added that it’s hard to convince people that it is okay to ride in traffic. Communities can increase bicycle users by creating bike lanes and corals.

Watch a video from the presentation here.

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!

Safe Routes to School will hold a free webcast titled "Bicycle Safety Education: Implement the Best Curricula for Your Community" on Thursday, February 20 from 2-3 p.m.

During the webcast, Safe Routes to School Education experts will discuss various types of bicycle safety that can be taught in the classroom and tips and tricks for success. 

Click here for more information and to register. 

The agenda for the 2014 National Bike Summit and National Women's Bicycling Forum is packed with high-profile speakers and important topics that will build the movement at the federal level and help you make biking better in your community. 

So what are you waiting for?!  Don't miss the premier bicycle advocacy event of the year—and save $100 by registering by January 22, this Wednesday! See the program and details here.  

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.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Office is bringing the "Save a Life Tour" to Connecticut high schools. 

According to an article in the Hartford Courant, this highly impactful distracted driving program is geared for teenagers. 

The program kicked-off at Bristol Eastern High School on December 9, and will continue at more than 30 schools throughout Connecticut in 2014. 

The distracted driving effort is focuses on ways to change drivers' behavior through legislation, enforcement, public awareness and education. 

Read the full article here.