Action is needed now by Vermont citizens if H.540 (a bike/ped safety bill) is to become law. Please click on the bill number to read the full text.
Here's what you can do:
1. Please send an email message to the House Transportation Committee c/o legislative assistant Fran Cerulli (
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) and request that your comments be sent to all 11 members of that committee. State that you support H.540 and that you would like it to become law. Thank Reps. Burke, Aswad, Courcelle, and Lanpher (all members of the HTC), in particular, for sponsoring the bill. Explain in your own words why this bill is important to you. Keep the message brief and respectful. If you own a business and can state that your business will benefit and that more dollars will flow into Vermont if it becomes more friendly to bicyclists and pedestrians, then your words will get extra attention.
2. Please email this URL to other supporters of bike/ped issues. http://www.vtbikeped.org/
3. Please let your own House representative(s) know that you support this bill. Although your personal rep(s) may not sit on this particular committee, you can urge them to speak to their colleagues on the House Transportation Committee. If you don't know who you reps are, you can find out by making a quick phone call to the Sergeant-at-Arms office (800) 322-5616 or you can go to www.leg.state.vt.us
4. Please consider writing a brief letter to the editor of your local paper(s) and explain to the readership why this bill is important.
5. If you know someone who is involved in the local Chamber of Commerce and will speak on behalf of this bill, please let me know the name and contact info for this individual. We need to line up folks from the business community who are willing to speak to the committee chair or testify before the committee.
6. If you have access to a State House card room date, please consider sharing it or offering it to the Coalition. We have no card room date this year and can use as much State House exhibit time as possible.
Here are some sample talking points that you can include in your email messages/letters:
Many other states have passed the provisions that this bill contains. Vermont is being surpassed by other states that are working harder to be "bicycle-friendly." Bicycle tourists take their dollars and ride where they are most welcome.
Motorists often come too close to bicyclists and pedestrians while passing. Motorists often pass at excessive speed. This bill prohibits these behaviors and offers a platform from which to educate motorists about what is appropriate.
Members of the public don't understand that there are a variety of circumstances when a bicyclist needs to move to the left. This bill explains why such movement is necessary and makes it clear that such movement is legal.
Bicyclists and pedestrians are often subject to harassment through having objects thrown at them. This bill prohibits that, making Vermont's roadways safer for "vulnerable roadway users."
This bill requires bicyclists to have reflectors on pedals or to wear reflective ankle straps at night, increasing the bicyclists' visibility and safety.
The VT Bike/Ped Coalition is grateful for your help in getting H.540 passed into law.
Guy Amundsen, passionate supporter of bicycling and nordic skiing in Vermont, died January 14, while re-certifying to be a ski instructor at Ole's touring center. Guy was a dedicated volunteer for the VT Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition who helped at mailing parties, built displays for bike shops, staffed tables, and cheerfully performed a variety of needed jobs. Guy's life was celebrated at a memorial service on Sunday, January 24 at Ole's touring center in Warren. A remembrance of Guy will appear in the next VBPC newsletter and will be posted on the VBPC web site. To send condolences to Guy's family and his long-time partner, Ann Rago, you may go to the web site of the funeral home: www.guareandsons.com
2009: Year in Review
Like many small non-profits, the VBPC experienced a challenging year in 2009. The severe economic downturn in the fall of 2008 caused current business supporters to withdraw funding and prompted others to re-consider their plans to donate. In response, the VBPC curtailed already restricted expenditures by cancelling plans to re-print educational pieces, delaying the design of new educational materials, eliminating almost all travel for the executive director, and examining all budget items for possible reductions. The search to do more with less can increase one’s creativity. The Coalition did its best to continue its vital educational and advocacy work under very difficult circumstances.
The following are some highlights from this past year:
Education - The Coalition continued to offer programs to drivers’ ed students in central Vermont high schools. To keep the students engaged and to make the learning experience more fun, a Jeopardy game was developed. Students formed teams and competed for prizes based on their knowledge of safe practices when driving, bicycling, and walking/running. The Coalition offered two Traffic Skills 101 courses for adults in Montpelier and Burlington. The full-day courses teach bicycle handling skills via street riding, parking lot drills, and classroom instruction. WCAX covered the Burlington course on its evening and morning broadcasts.
The second annual Tour de Farms, coorganized with Rural Vermont and the Addison County Re-Localization Network, attracted well over 500 bicyclists, more than double last year’s attendance. Perfect weather contributed to the excellent turnout. Eighteen farms offered goodies to the eager riders and the AppleFest that followed the ride provided music, crafts, and more opportunities to eat! The Tour de Farms will be back on September 19, 2010 so please mark your calendar now and head to Shoreham with your friends for a great time!
The Coalition exhibited at the first ever VT Safety Day. The Coalition also was present for Earth Day exhibits in various venues, the Sports and Fitness Expo, the MS Weekend, the Kids Are Priority One event, Hunger Mountain Coop Food and Wellness Expo, and others too numerous to list here.
The StoryWalkTM Project has now spread to 46 Vermont towns and 61 towns in 18 other states. (These numbers represent just the known locations. It is almost certain that the StoryWalkTM Project has appeared elsewhere without the Coalition’s knowledge.)
Advocacy - VBPC executive director Nancy Schulz addressed U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and urged him to fulfill his vision of “liveable communities” by bringing bicyclists and pedestrians into the forefront of transportation planning. Schulz also met with Bike/ped leaders from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to discuss mutual concerns. VBPC staff, board members and other volunteers spent three days exhibiting in the State House card room to draw attention to the Coalition’s legislative priorities. A well-attended meeting of bike/ped advocates was organized by the Coalition to plan legislative strategy for 2010.
The third annual Ride of Silence to remember those bicyclists injured or killed by motorists was held, with all riders wearing black and red armbands.
A first-ever Vermont Bike/Ped Business Forum involving bicycle-touring companies, bike shops, and bike/ped advocates was organized. The gathering was fruitful and the VBPC looks forward to planning an expanded Forum involving more stakeholders in 2010.
The Safe Passing bill, introduced again in the 2009 legislative session, stalled when the House Transportation Committee didn’t take it up for discussion. The process of attempting to bring a bill into law never fails to challenge, surprise, instruct, and engage!
The Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition promotes bicycling & walking safety, education, and access, to make Vermont bicycle- & pedestrian-friendly for residents and visitors alike. We also support bicycling and walking for transportation, health, recreation, and fun to enhance our communities, environment, and economy.
Our vision: Those who wish to walk or bicycle may travel safely from anywhere in Vermont to anywhere else on a network of quiet country roads, shared roadways, bike lanes, wide-shouldered roads, sidewalks, or bike paths.
Our core programs:
The Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition is a member-supported organization. Please join us, and share the word!
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