Walk-Bike Council of Addison County

The August meeting of the Walk Bike Council of Addison County was held on August 7, 2019 at the ACRPC.

Agenda:

• Planning a Motherload screening at the THT. (Tim)
  An independent movie / documentary about bike culture, cargo bikes, climate change, social change...
  
• Triangle Bike Loop planning project update and upcoming public meeting.
• Vermont Walk-Bike Summit 2020.
  
• Middlebury Transportation Mitigation Plan for bridge project 
• Lincoln’s Advisory Shoulder on Quaker St.
• Working Group Updates

Continue below for full notes.

Attendees: Doug, Bethany, Nate, Larry, Erik, Adam, Mary, Tim, Mike

1. Next meeting, to be scheduled in mid-late Sept.  Adam will send out a Doodle Poll.
   
   
2. Motherload, the movie, (Tim’s project?).  Currently to be showed as part of W-B Summit at the Town Hall Theater.  Possible other locations: Dana or Twilight Hall, Midd Coll. Or Midd Marquis.  Fund-raising needed, and can happen. Who do donors write checks to? Is Local Motion still our umbrella?  Likely. But we can double check with Allegra (Adam F.). Or the cost can be part of the Summit budget, Mike.
   
   
3. Triangle Loop.  Public Meeting is next Thurs, Aug 15 7-9pm, New Haven Town Hall.  Mike is meeting with John Flowers of Addi Inde, for an article. Mike has also contacted: Seven Days, WCAX, FPF (thanks Doug), VPR for promotion.  Hard copies available to post flyers around town.
   
   
4. Walk-Bike Summit 2020.  Mike had a walk-thru downtown Midd.  Keynote speaker has been narrowed down 4 candidates (from 16).  “Sessions” is now in action. General focus will try to balance “walk” with “bike”.
   
   
5. Middlebury Transportation Mitigation Plan for bridge project. Adam Lougee of the ACRPC. will be meeting with Middlebury town and others (TSMO, ACTR) on Wed, Aug 21.  Would like W-B Council input prior to meeting. Contact Adam with ideas.
   
   
6. Lincoln’s Advisory Shoulder on Quaker St. Mike met with Bill Finger (Lincoln Selectboard) as he wants to know who gives the “OK” for this project.  http://ruraldesignguide.com/mixed-traffic/advisory-shoulder  (Side note, Allegra of LM suggested this for Pine Street, Bristol.)  https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/DPW/AdvisoryLanes
   
   
7. Citizen & School Engagement Committee update from Laura: Addison County Schools are preparing for an active year of walking and biking to school. Several have reserved the Kohl's Bike Smart trailer for 2019-20 from Local Motion and are prepared to participate in the International Walk & Roll to School Day on Wed Oct 9 and will reignite regular Walk and Roll to School Days throughout the year and encourage walking school buses and bike trains and use of new rapid flashing beacon lights and better designated crosswalks in Vergennes (downtown, several locations in school zone) and Middlebury (on Seymour St by Pulp Mill Bridge connecting to new beautiful sidewalk on Weybridge St to delight of many families in Woodbridge condos who asked for this safety measure). Middlebury's Mary Hogan School will be installing the solar array it won in the Way to Go! School Challenge sometime this fall and contributed a u-loop bike rack it won in the same challenge to MUHS which can use another rack badly and one that can accommodate a wider range of bikes (ebikes, cargo bikes) and won't twist tires. Many Addison County citizens are participating in the Rise VT 30/30 Challenge (walk a mile each day for 30 days) which will culminate at the Middlebury Block Party on Wed Aug 14 with a chance to win one of 5 Middlebury Money $100 gift certificates. The Block Party will transform downtown Main St with sod and lawn games to draw families, as last year, to Come Alive! Outside. Attention turns to preparing for the main construction of the rail bridge project resuming this month and peaking summer 2020 with alternatives to navigating downtown by shuttle bus, bike, foot. We will promote ACTR and VTrans Go VT connectingcommuters.org website and new "where's my bus" app. And public hearings on the Addison County Triangle Bike Loop planned for this fall.
   
   
8. Carrie MacFarlane, Vergennes, stepping down from W-B Council group.  Anyone from Vergennes interested in taking her spot?
   
   
9. Marketing Committee update, Bethany - Michele Butler leading walks an anticipation of road closures, Bud Reed has been working on creating lawn signs with citizen spotlights.  Tim would like a regular letter to the editor promoting bike issues. Bethany will gather all “Cultural Shift” tactics/ideas and Council can discuss in the future.
   
   
10. Meeting adjourned at 6:30pm.