BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Burlington nonprofit Local Motion is celebrating a big milestone. The group, which is dedicated to making walking and biking a part of everyday Vermont life, turns 25 this year.
Yvonne Fenniman is originally from the Netherlands, where biking is a way of life.
“I think more people should put their car in the garage and go on a bike. We have too many cars driving around here everywhere,” said the Winooski resident. “I just want to park my car and get on my bike and be on a safe place, because it is obviously tough for me to climb hills and I don’t always find it very safe, because there are no bike paths like there are in Holland.”
Local Motion works with communities to put in bike lanes, crosswalks, and sidewalks, and directly advocate at the Statehouse for the safety of all road users. They also run a bike rental center on Burlington’s waterfront and operate the popular bike ferry on the Colchester Causeway.
Executive director Christina Erickson is already looking ahead to the next 25 years. “I want to see every kid in Vermont learn how to ride a bike and learn how to ride a bike safely, not just 10,000 — every kid in Vermont — we would love to see that,” she said.