Kelly Boe Ride

[Laura Asermily]

Kathy Boe and I noticed the Addy listed the Kelly Boe Ride in the Community Calendar for this Wed May 19 departing MUHS at 4 pm. We are not departing at 4 pm from MUHS and apologize for this misunderstanding. Middlebury Safe Routes is not doing an escorted Kelly Boe Ride this year because we didn't know where COVID would be. We didn't get the required permits and did not arrange for police escort. Instead, for this year, the Kelly Boe Ride is a self guided ride. We invite people to take a slow-paced bike ride in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roads, including Middlebury's Kelly Boe for which an annual ride was started and named. We invite people to do this on Wed May 19, especially at 7 pm, to coincide with the National Ride of Silence and to offer a donation to the Kelly Boe Memorial Scholarship. Checks should be made out to "Kelly Boe Memorial Scholarship" and mailed c/o MUHS Charles Ace Middlebury VT 05753. People can do the 8 mile route we have taken in the past starting from wherever they want down Weybridge St and out to Hamilton Rd or do any other route they want. The idea is to do it reverently in honor of Kelly and others. I will be present at MUHS at 3:45-4:15 pm outside in case anyone shows up to explain this and receive donations if they are delivered and give them to MUHS. Below is an outline of other bike activities planned for May and summer.

Laura Asermily

for Middlebury Safe Routes

May Is Bike Month!  Use this time to practice navigating downtown following rules of road.Take a practice ride to school Wed May 5 in honor of National Bike to School Day or to your work site on Fri May 21 in honor of National Bike to Work Day. Photograph and report shoulder and path conditions and recommendations to Town Public Works and road maintenance officials and thank them for their efforts. Post your miles cycled with American League of Cyclists at nationalbikechallenge.org. 

Bike Smart Training: Kohl's bike smart trailer returns to Middlebury in May with over 30 bikes and helmets and props to hone skills and teach rules of the road. Mary Hogan students will receive training in PE classes the week of May 24-28.  

Bike Smart Guided Ride: New and newly returning adult bike riders may contact Laura Asermily at lase...@yahoo.com at a time and location you can set to ride your bike with her or a borrowed one she can help arrange.

Free E-bike Loan Program: Reserve an electric assisted bike or cargo bike to try free for up to 3-5 days through Frog Hollow Bikes with support from Local Motion, Middlebury Safe Routes and Town of Middlebury. Tentatively slated to begin June and run through the summer and fall. Learn about cargo and e-bikes at http://www.vbikesolutions.org/.

Kelly Boe Memorial Bike Ride: Take a slow-paced bike ride in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roads, including Middlebury's Kelly Boe for which an annual ride was started and named. It coincides with the National Ride of Silence on Wed May 19 at 7 pm. Offer a donation to "Kelly Boe Memorial Scholarship" by making a check out to "Kelly Boe Memorial Scholarship" and sending it to MUHS.

Human Powered Parade: Join a self-guided physically distant, yet zany socially connected event on Sat. May 22 (10 am-2 pm) in Bristol with porch music in route. Parade your resilience—our theme this year.  When we ride bikes, scooters, skateboards, walk, or run, we connect with our environment in a more direct way. More details  here.

Mountain Bike Rides, departs Frog Hollow Bikes Join Addison County Bike Club (ACBC) cyclists on Trail Around Middlebury rides. For more about rides, trail work days, clinics and safety training for the next generation of mountain bikers, visit addisoncountybikeclub.org.  CHECK WITH FROG HOLLOW BIKES ON FAT TIRE RENTALS AND SALES. Use trails intended for bikes on the TAM (marked on maps) and avoid blazing new ones to protect new growth.

Vermont Gran Fondo, Sat. Aug 7  Road cycling over Addison County mountain gaps: Appalachian, Middlebury, Lincoln. Choose from three courses. Details at http://vermontgranfondo.com.

Tour de Farms, Sat. Sept 18 Departing and returning from Vergennes Union High School. Choose 10 or 30 mile loop. More at https://www.acornvt.org/tourdefarms

VT Walk/Bike Summit, Downtown Middlebury Brings together professionals, volunteers, and activists to share information and learn from each other. For more, visit vtwalkbikesummit.com Scheduled for MAY 2022.

Local Motion's Trailside Bike Center & Ferry  Visit localmotion.org to see resources designed to bring walking and biking within reach of all Vermonters. Local Motion's Bike Center along the bike path opens May 1 (10-6) to rent bikes and the bike ferry runs June-Oct 11. 

Go! Vermont is a resource of VTrans for finding greener travel options (carpool, vanpool, bus, bike or telecommute) toward reducing pollution and addressing our climate crisis. Track your greener trips to earn rewards all year. Visit Go! Vermont - Get Rewards for Greener Trips. Thanks to those who participated in the Way to Go! Transportation Challenge May 1-16.

Middlebury Safe Routes hosts "Walk and Roll to School Day" usually the first Wednesday of month, monitors traffic patterns and student travel behavior, plans activities to teach bike skills and rules of the road, and recommends improvements to roads, parking lots, drop offs, sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic lights, signage, bus routes, bike routes, bike racks, and more. Contact Erik Remsen at erik....@gmail.com to help or offer input.

Walk/Bike Council of Addison County is a county-wide, citizen-led advisory group that meets every 6-8 weeks in Middlebury. The Council seeks to build momentum and capacity for safer walking and biking to our towns and villages. We are mapping a Triangle road bike loop best connecting our Addison County hubs of Bristol, Vergennes and Middlebury via New Haven. Council members work with state and regional agencies, municipal staff, schools and other interested community partners. We seek members from western, north and south portions of our county. Anyone interested should visit walkbikeaddison.org or email Adam Franco at adamf...@gmail.com.