Hartford, CT – Bike Walk Connecticut and CTTRANSIT invite commuters to try a new way to get to work – riding a bike. Bike commuting reduces vehicle traffic, avoids pollution, saves gas and is the healthy way to travel! For those with long commutes, CTTRANSIT offers bike racks on the front of all its buses – a commuter can bike to the bus, ride to a stop near their work location and then bike to work. To support bike commuting, Bike Walk Connecticut and CTTRANSIT will host a breakfast social for bicycle commuters on July 20, from 6:30 am to 9 am, at the Old State House in downtown Hartford. The bike to work breakfast is an opportunity for new bike commuters to learn tips from the experienced and for all to enjoy the camaraderie. CTTRANSIT will have a bus at the breakfast so that cyclists can practice putting a bicycle onto the bus rack. According to CT Department of Transportation Commissioner Jim Redeker, “Bicycling is an increasingly important mode of transportation in Connecticut. It’s an option that more and more of us are considering. It’s ‘green,’ healthy and smart – not to mention fun.” Join us in Hartford for a Bike to Work Breakfast When: Friday, July 20, 6:30AM-9:00AM Location: Old State House, downtown Hartford Biking to work is easier than many people think. These tips can help novice bike commuters:
East Hartford, CT (July 19th, 2012) – Bike Walk Connecticut, Pratt & Whitney, Goodwin College, and Healthy East Hartford are taking the lead to encourage bike commuting. They will be joined by co-sponsors Healthy Gears, American Eagle Federal Credit Union, and Bicycles East to bring you a breakfast social for bicycle commuters on Thursday, July 19th. Bike commuting reduces vehicle traffic, avoids pollution, saves gas and is the healthy way to travel! According to CT Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Dan Esty, “Cycling is a healthy, cheap, and environmentally friendly alternative to driving to work. Any day that begins with a bike ride is a good day!” Join us in East Hartford for a Bike to Work Breakfast When: Thursday, July 19th, 6:30AM-9:00AM Location: 351 Main Street, East Hartford, CT (across the street from Pratt & Whitney) East Hartford Mayor Marcia Leclerc will be speaking at the event at 7:45AM. Mayor Leclerc says, “I am pleased to join Bike Walk Connecticut and all the sponsors and riders in the East Hartford Bike to Work Day. This event serves to encourage more people to commute by bicycle and to promote a healthier lifestyle. The mission of Healthy East Hartford is to reduce childhood obesity and there is no better example to our children than to see adults who participate in an active lifestyle.”
Tips for those planning to give biking to work a try: Bill maintains funding and avoids transit cuts, but rolls back safety and environmental protections For immediate release: June 29, 2012 In response to the announcement of a conference committee deal to authorize the federal transportation program through September 2014, transportation advocates expressed disappointment at the bill’s lack of reforms and at provisions that would make it harder for communities in Connecticut to provide input on major projects and improve street safety:
“While the bill allows the country to avoid a shutdown of transportation funding, it shuts down progress instead,” said Veronica Vanterpool, Tri-State Transportation Campaign executive director. “It reduces funding for bike and pedestrian projects, rolls back environmental protections, and incentivizes new road building and driving. It’s now up to local and state leaders to fight for a more accountable, environmentally sustainable transportation system.” The bill would make large portions of dedicated pedestrian and bicycle funding optional for states. Currently, less than 3% of federal transportation funding is dedicated for pedestrian and bicycle projects, and local communities rely on these small programs to improve safety and promote economic development. “Scores of Connecticut residents are killed and many more injured while walking and cycling each year,” said Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director of Bike Walk Connecticut. “With less help coming from Washington, ConnDOT must step up its commitment to safety.” The bill also appears to roll back environmental protections. It exempts more projects from the federal project review process and adds arbitrary deadlines that could lead to hasty, error-prone reviews. "We’re concerned that the bill could make it harder for local communities and residents to provide input on projects that affect their air, water, health, and property,” said Kirsten Griebel, Transportation Program Director, CT League of Conservation Voters. The bill also changes the federal TIFIA loan program by removing criteria that considered environmental sustainability, project significance, and other factors. As a result, the program could send more money to states that are building many new roads (like North Carolina and Indiana) and less to states in our region. The Senate had crafted a forward-looking, bipartisan bill, MAP-21. Unfortunately, many positive reforms that had been included in MAP-21 were dropped from the final deal, including provisions to restore the transit commuter benefit to $240/month (it fell to $125/month at the beginning of the year), give transit agencies flexibility over how they spend their federal funds, and focus road and bridge funding on repair and maintenance. The legislation avoids cuts to public transportation. It would provide new sources of funding for repair of transit systems, and help municipalities build around their rail and bus stations. “It’s a bitter disappointment that the commuter benefit won’t be restored, though Connecticut thankfully avoids a cut to transit funding,” said Transit for Connecticut Coordinator Karen Burnaska. “Though the bill lacks significant reforms, it does avoid the most extreme cuts supported by some in the House,” Tri-State Transportation Campaign Federal Advocate Steven Higashide said. “Connecticut’s delegation helped defeat proposals to cut all dedicated funding for public transportation, walking, and cycling projects. We thank them for their hard work.” 1. Try Biking to Work, Norwalk - The Daily Stamford--After days of rain and gray skies, what better way for Norwalk and Stamford residents to chase away the blues than to bike to work. Hosted by the South Western Regional Planning Agency and Bike Walk Connecticut, the event is the agencies' way of... 2. Bike to Work on May 18: Morning Events in Hartford and West Hartford www.slideshare.net/bikewalkct/bike-to-work-on-may-18-morning-ev... Bike to Work on May 18: Morning Events in Hartford and West Hartford.... by Bike Walk Connecticut on May 16, 2012 ... and National Bike Challenge Chair for Bike WalkConnecticut at sfry@crcog.org, or Kelly Kennedy, BikeWalk CT... 3. Bike to Work on May 18: Events Scheduled Across Connecticut; www.slideshare.net/bikewalkct/bike-to-work-on-may-18-events-sche... Bike to Work on May 18: Events Scheduled Across Connecticut. ...Bike Walk Connecticut at sfry@crcog.org , or Kelly Kennedy, Bike Walk CTExecutiveDirector... 4. Bike to Work on May 18: Morning Events in Hartford and West ... westhartford.patch.com/.../bike-to-work-on-may-18-morning-events-... Bike to Work Day is May 18, and Bike Walk CT invites bicyclists to take part in ... for Bike Walk Connecticut atsfry@crcog.org , or Kelly Kennedy, Bike Walk CT ... 5. National Bike-to-Work Day is May 18 :: HTNP.net htnp.net/blog/2012/05/16/national-bike-to-work-day-is-may-18/ With the theme, “It's Easier Than You Think!,” Bike Walk CT is taking the lead to encourage bikecommuting on National Bike to Work Day, on Friday May 18... 6. Stamford Downtown Events: Get with it.....BIKE TO WORK 2012 stamforddowntownevents.blogspot.com/.../get-with-itbike-to-work-2... Supported by SWRPA, City of Stamford, Bike Walk Connecticut, and CTrides. For more information web:http://www.wecyclect.org/bike-to-work/ contact: Alex... 7. the beat bike blog; beatbikeblog.blogspot.com/ Bike to Work this Friday, May 18th This year Bike Walk CT is donning the "statewide" mantle and promoting bicycle commuting across the vast lands of Connecticut.... 8. National Bike to Work Day Friday, May 18. Events planned in ...; environmentalheadlines.com/.../national-bike-to-work-day-friday-ma... A note from Kelly Kennedy, Executive DirectorBike Walk Connecticut. Bike to Work Day is tomorrow, May 18, and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate... 9. Transportation - Connecticut By The Numbers; ctbythenumbers.info/category/transportation/ Bike Walk CT is taking the lead to encourage bike commuting on NationalBike to Work Day, May 18. Breakfasts for bike commuters will be held in Bethel, ... 10. Stamford411 - The Advocate; blog.stamfordadvocate.com/stamford411/ Bike Walk Connecticut is hosting bike-to-work breakfasts as pat of CTRides Week in May. Stamford's event will be held at Columbus Park on May 18... 11. News & Press Releases - www.bridgeportct.gov/pages/NewsDetails.aspx?itemid=362 - Mayor Finch to Celebrate National Bike to WorkDay ... Patagonia and United Health Care and is organized by Bike Walk Connecticut. 12. Bike With Bill, Breakfast With Bill; onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/bike-with-bill-breakfast-with-bill/ - Mayor Bill Finch on Friday will ride his bike to work as part of NationalBike to Work Day. ... and United Health Care and is organized by Bike Walk Connecticut.... 13. Bike-To-Work Breakfast FRIDAY May 18 20202020!, www.wecyclect.org/pdfs/newhaven.pdf; Elm City Cycling's free. Bike-To-Work. Breakfast. FRIDAY May 18. 20202020! 7:30-9:30 a.m.. Pitkin Plaza,Orange St. between Chapel & Court.... 14. StamfordPlus.com Health; www.stamfordplus.com/sphtml/health.php 2 days ago - Bike to Work Week is May 14th through the 18th, culminating in Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 18. Visit Bike Walk Connecticut at www.bikewalkct.org for... Bike to Work on May 18: It’s Easier Than You Think! Morning Events in Hartford and West Hartford5/14/2012
MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release Hartford, CT (May 14, 2012) – Bike to Work Day is May 18, and Bike Walk CT invites bicyclists to take part in events in Hartford or West Hartford. The weather looks good for Friday, but Bike to Work events will be held rain or shine. Bike commuting novices and veterans alike are invited to join Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, Dan Esty, at the West Hartford and Hartford events. For the second year in a row, Commissioner Esty is doing the 35-mile ride from his home in Cheshire to West Hartford, then continuing on to Hartford. Asked why he backs bike commuting, Esty says “Cycling is a healthy, cheap, and environmentally-friendly alternative to driving to work. Any day that begins with a bike ride is a good day!” Bike to Work Breakfast at REI in West Hartford REI is sponsoring a free breakfast beginning at 6:30 am, with a ride departing for the downtown Hartford event at 7:15 am. REI is located in Blue Back Square, at 71 Raymond Road, West Hartford. Click here for map and directions. Or Join Bike Walk Connecticut at the Old State House in Hartford Bike Walk Connecticut will provide free breakfast to bike commuters from 6:30 am to 9 am, with a short program at 8 am. The event will be held on the east lawn of the Old State House, where numerous rides will be converging from all directions. Check http://www.bikewalkct.org/bike-to-work/meet-ups/ for the full schedule. Need Bike to Work Tips? For tips on biking to work, visit our tips page at www.bikewalkct.org and see the full list of bike to work activities at http://www.bikewalkct.org/bike-to-work. For more information contact Sandy Fry, Bike to Work and National Bike Challenge Chair for Bike Walk Connecticut at sfry@crcog.org , or Kelly Kennedy, Bike Walk CT Executive Director, at kelly.kennedy@bikewalkct.org. Bike Walk Connecticut is taking the lead to encourage bike commuting in Connecticut. Bike commuting reduces vehicle traffic, avoids pollution, saves gas—and burns calories! We are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to making bicycling and walking safe, feasible and attractive for a healthier, cleaner Connecticut. Visit us at www.bikewalkct.org.
MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release Hartford, CT (May 1, 2012) - Get out your bike—and don’t forget your helmet! Whether you are an occasional bicyclist, a regular bike commuter, a charity rider, mountain biker, or bicyclist of any type, take the National Bike Challenge! With May designated as National Bike Month and May 18 as National Bike to Work Day, Bike Walk Connecticut is taking the lead to encourage bike commuting. Bike commuting reduces vehicle traffic, avoids pollution, saves gas--and burns calories! Coinciding with National Bike Month is the launch of the National Bike Challenge (www.nationalbikechallenge.org), an online tool to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation, and better health. The challenge runs from May 1 to August 31 and has a goal of “uniting 50,000 people to bike 10 million miles.” The challenge website makes it easy to log bike trips, whether they are commuting, for errands, for recreation or by mountain bike—any trip by bike counts. You’ll be eligible for prize drawings after logging just three days on your bike. You can even download a mobile app to keep track of your miles. Cyclists can compete in the challenge as an individual, as part of a workplace, as part of a community, or as part of a 10-member team. Connecticut will compete in the National Bike Challenge against other states on a points per capita basis. Bike Walk Connecticut is coordinating the state challenge and aims to make sure that Connecticut is well represented. To register your company for the challenge, go to www.endomondo.com/registration/organizations and enter the requested information. This lets coworkers select your company name from the dropdown menu when they register for the challenge. It also lets your company compete against businesses around the country. To register yourself for the challenge, go to www.nationalbikechallenge.org. Enter the basic information requested, then select your company name from the dropdown menu. Your company will compete against other businesses, and Connecticut is competing against other states. When you record your rides at the National Bike Challenge website, the online tool tallies the miles you’ve ridden, the calories you’ve burned, the money you’ve saved in gas, and the greenhouse gases you’ve avoided. All your bike rides, whether they are commuting, for errands, for recreation or by mountain bike, can be entered in the challenge. Then, be a Part of Bike to Work 2012: It’s Easier than You Think! Don’t forget, there will be many Bike to Work events during May and throughout the summer. Check www.bikewalkct.org/bike-to-work to find an event near you. Bike Walk Connecticut is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to making bicycling and walking safe, feasible and attractive for a healthier, cleaner Connecticut. Visit us at www.bikewalkct.org.
May is National Bike Month: Connecticut Bikes to Work and Takes on National Bike Challenge4/23/2012
Hartford, CT (April 23, 2012) – With May designated as National Bike Month and May 18 as National Bike to Work Day, Bike Walk Connecticut is taking the lead to encourage bike commuting. Bike commuting reduces vehicle traffic, avoids pollution, saves gas--and burns calories! Bike to Work Day is May 18 Bike Walk Connecticut is helping to set up Bike to Work breakfasts statewide. To date, events are scheduled in Bethel, Farmington, Hartford, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Stamford, Waterbury, and West Hartford and more are in the works. Bike Walk Connecticut is working with bicycle advocacy groups, regional planning organizations and CT Rides, the state’s transportation demand management program, to make clear that bicycling is an important option in our multi-modal transportation system. Take the National Bike Challenge Coinciding with National Bike Month is the launch of the National Bike Challenge (www.nationalbikechallenge.org), an online tool to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation and better health. The challenge runs from May 1 to August 31 and has a goal of “uniting 50,000 people to bike 10 million miles.” The challenge website makes it easy to log bike trips, whether they are commuting, for errands, for recreation or by mountain bike—any trip by bike may be entered in the challenge. Cyclists can compete in the challenge as an individual, as part of a workplace, as part of a community, or as part of a 10-member team. Connecticut will compete in the National Bike Challenge against other states on a points per capita basis. Bike Walk Connecticut is coordinating the state challenge and aims to make sure that Connecticut is well represented. For more information For details about participating in or organizing a Bike to Work event in your town, see www.bikewalkct.org/bike-to-work/ or contact Sandy Fry, Bike to Work and National Bike Challenge Chair for Bike Walk Connecticut at sfry@crcog.org , or Kelly Kennedy, Bike Walk CT Executive Director, at kelly.kennedy@bikewalkct.org.
Hartford, CT (April 10, 2012) – Bike Walk Connecticut is pleased to announce that Kelly Kennedy has joined the organization as Executive Director, effective April 2. “We are delighted to have Kelly join us. With her exceptional communications skills, significant experience with other Connecticut non-profits and strong personal interest in fitness and the environment, we believe she is the right person to lead Bike Walk Connecticut’s growth as a statewide organization,” said MaryEllen Thibodeau, President of the Board of Directors. Kelly is a devoted outdoor sports enthusiast with roots in environmental work, public policy, management, communications, and health. She has long been a strong supporter of efforts to develop viable options beyond the car for getting around. "I am thrilled that the idea of car-free mobility is gradually starting to take hold among planners, realtors, government officials, and consumers," Kelly says. "Walking and biking more, and driving less, is good for public health. It's good for the environment. And it's good for the economy. Bike Walk Connecticut's mission is right up my alley, and I'm very excited to join the organization." While serving as the communications director for the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, Kelly helped promote the Complete Streets bill of 2009, as well as other initiatives such as last year's recreational liability reform and vulnerable user legislation. She has worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations in a freelance capacity, doing web design and communications, strategic planning, and event planning. Her previous careers include working as a tax attorney in state government, and before that, running corporate fitness programs. Kelly is a graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law and of the Pennsylvania State University, where she studied exercise science. She lives in West Hartford. She can be reached at kelly.kennedy@bikewalkct.org or at 860.904.2420.
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