The Big Fix Goal Reached! Work Underway!

Thanks to the 500+ families and businesses who donated $1.5M to The Big Fix and the Friends of the Island Line, the Colchester Causeway reopened on October 26, 2012!  Thanks to your generosity, Local Motion provided a $33,108 check to Colchester to help with the repairs. 

Thank you to the Town of Colchester, FEMA, SD Ireland and all the private donors who helped with the local match.  Go out and run, walk and bike on the refurbished causeway! 

On November 1, Local Motion and RunVermont handed over a $50,000 check to the City of Burlington as repairs commenced on two areas of the path (Lakeview Cemetary and Northshore). 

Sections of the Burlington path will be closed periodically over the next couple of months.  Thanks again to the City of Burlington, FEMA, the State of Vermont, The Big Fix Campaign Cabinet and the 500+ donors who made this all happen!

The remainder of The Big Fix funding will go to relaunching dramatically enhanced Causeway Bike Ferry service in 2013.  Watch Chapin Spencer's thank you message here.

Big Fix Donations Advance Repairs

Thanks to the 545 donors to The Big Fix and the Friends of the Island Line, we reached out $1.5M goal on October 14th!  As a result, Local Motion was able to help Burlington and Colchester with their trail repairs from the record 2011 flood. 

On November 1st, Director Chapin Spencer and Board President Cathy Frank provided a $50,000 check to the City of Burlington.

On November 2nd, Local Motion joined Colchester officials in re-opening the recently repaired causeway and provided a $33,108 check to the Town.

Local Motion is now working hard to prepare for the Bike Ferry improvements that will enable a re-launch of expaneded Bike Ferry service.  We are shooting for a late June 2013 opening.

Standing Room Only at Legends of the Line

What a wonderful evening!  225 attendees packed the Main Street Landing Film House on September 19 to take a 111-year historical journey along the Island Line. 

It was a great night of storytelling with a dozen people weaving together tales of the rail years and the trail years.

Missed the event?  You can watch it online!

Find out why this rail line was built through Lake Champlain?  Who first proposed turning it into a trail?  What bike path battle went all the way to the US Supreme Court?  What is happening with the flood repairs?

The event was part of The Big Fix -- a campaign to repair the trail and relaunch expanded Bike Ferry service. 

Thank you to our sponsors: Main Street Landing, Shanty on the Shore, ECHO, CCTV, Lake Champlain Islands Chamber and Urban Rhino.   

Thank you to our presenters: Laz Scangus, Jim Jones, Bill Hauke, Peg Clark, Rick Sharp, Brian Costello, Joe McNeil and Michael Monte!

Cruise Raises $164,000 for Trail Repair & Ferry!

On July 11th, a capacity crowd of 150 trail enthusiasts boarded the Northern Lights to take a special trip up to 'the cut' in the Causeway.  See photos here!

It was part of The Big Fix -- Local Motion's $1.5M fundraising campaign to repair the Island Line Trail from the record 2011 flooding and to relaunch dramatically expanded Bike Ferry service.

The energy on board to finally complete the 14-mile Burlington / Colchester / South Hero trail was palpable.

Honorary Co-Chairs Bill & Carole Hauke announced their tremendously generous $100,000 challenge grant as the boat paused next to the causeway.  The Hauke's ongoing enthusiasm and hands on efforts have inspired us all.

VTrans Secretary Brian Searles told the crowd that Local Motion is the most effective advocacy organization he has seen and reiterated the the State's support for this spectacular trail.

Campaign Co-Chair Cathy Frank encouraged us all to seize this opportunity in the 111 year old history of the Island Line to restore its former glory and complete the trail.

Huge thanks to Lake Champlain Transportation Company and Gobeille Hospitality for donating the boat, the fuel and the food for the event!  Thanks also to photographer Doug Goodman and musician Joe Cleary for donating their services.

The campaign has raised $1.43M -- with just $70,000 to go!

We need you! The sooner fundraising is completed, the sooner the works gets done.  Your support is needed now to make sure we have ferry service in 2013.

The Big Fix Campaign Launched!

Do you want the causeway repaired?  Do you want the Bike Ferry back?  We're 80% there, but we need your help!

On June 30th, the Town of Colchester and Local Motion announced The Big Fix -- a fundraising campaign to repair eroded sections of the Island Line and to relaunch expanded Bike Ferry service.  The fundraising goal is $1.5M and behind the scenes we've already raised $1.2M! We need your help to raise the final $285,000! CONTRIBUTE TODAY!

Former Governor Dean, VT Senator Mazza (pictured above), VTrans Secretary Brian Searles, Senator Sanders' staffer Jeff Munger, VT Rep. Brennan, and Colchester officials Al Voegele and Marc Landry all joined Local Motion's Director Chapin Spencer at Colchester's Airport Park to launch the public phase of the campaign.

See the pictures of the kick-off here.

Watch the LCATV video of the kick-off here.

Read Free Press coverage here.

Find out more about The Big Fix here.

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What Will This Campaign Fund?

1. Acquisition of a commercial ferry boat –  to provide greater passenger capacity, a  back-up motor, a small bathroom, and an enclosed helm for storm protection.

2. Installation of safer ramps and docks –  to offer an easier experience for kids, wheelchair users, and people using bicycles with trailers, etc.

3. Construction of turnarounds on each side of the cut (without widening the causeway footprint) – to provide quicker and cheaper access for maintenance and emergency vehicles

4. Repairs to the causeway – to fix eroded sections of the causeway all along both sections in Colchester and South Hero

5. Creation of viewing / fishing platforms at the cut – to give causeway users a safe,  enjoyable place to recreate away from the ferry boarding areas

6. Installation of wave attenuators (sometimes called floating breakwaters) – to enable the ferry to run dependably and safely in most high wind and wave conditions

7. Three years of decreasing operating support – to give Local Motion time to grow the   marketing, ridership, and corporate sponsorship to sustain full-season ferry service