Cody Phillips (Bicycle & Pedestrian Connectivity)

Cody Phillips

Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Committee

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Committee was a natural fit for Cody Phillips when he was looking to volunteer in Jericho. He started bicycle racing in middle school and makes his living in the cycling industry. A year and a half ago he joined what was then called the Trails Committee and shortly after that, he became chair.

Becoming chair wasn’t Phillips’ plan when he joined the group, but the previous chair resigned, and he had more time than the other members because he was the only one without children. “I had a job and a family,” he said “but I don’t have kids, and they needed someone. I figured having me doing it imperfectly was better than not having anyone.”

The committee is currently trying to get approval and funding for a temporary pedestrian lane on Raceway Road as proof of concept. Phillips explained that hypothetically if the road had a pedestrian lane there would be more walkers and cyclists, cars would drive slower, and people would feel safer. “It’s a novel way of testing the impact of potential infrastructure on a gravel road,” Phillips said. “It’s only been done three times in the United States.” Phillips noted that it’s important to find ways to test ideas and if the pedestrian lane works, other towns and states with dirt roads might adopt similar lanes. The committee has been working with Local Motion on the project, but they have encountered some opposition from residents of Raceway Road.

Phillips said the committee is also planning some trail workdays in the Town Forest to get rid of of old fencing and barbed wire and make trail improvements. The group also wants to install a trailhead kiosk at Wolf Run because they believe those trails are underutilized.

Phillips grew up in Los Angeles and lived in North Carolina and Utah before moving to Vermont, living first in Williston before moving to Jericho in early 2021. He said there are significant differences in the municipal process between Los Angeles and Vermont. “Where I grew up, they’d just put up a stoplight with no public comment,” he said. “Here everyone is heard. I appreciate that, but it can also slow progress. People don’t necessarily like change.”

Phillips considers Jericho unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists because of the lack of infrastructure which forces non-motorized folks to share the road with cars traveling at high speeds. “Studies show that this results in much higher accidents and death,” he said. Phillips praises the addition of sidewalks in town but notes that they often don’t connect to anything and therefore don’t impact that many people. “People either have to drive or do something statistically dangerous,” he said. “There aren’t enough safe ways to travel outside of a car. I’ve been buzzed numerous times here and in other places.”

That said, Phillips loves the small-town feel of Jericho and the fact that people come together to help each other. “It’s a safe space” he said. “You can park your bike at the grocery store and nobody will touch it. There’s lots of open space for recreation away from houses and cars.”

Phillips started cycling in middle school and continued through high school and college. He got an athletic scholarship to attend Lee Gray College in North Carolina where he met his wife who was also on the cycling team. Phillips got a business degree with a minor in cycling studies. The minor had an infrastructure and design concentration, as well as a policy focus. Phillips used his degree to land a sales job with Wilderness Trail Bikes. He said the business allows employees to spend a few hours a week doing advocacy work and the owner is on the board of the non-profit People for Bikes.

Phillips continues to hold a pro racing license but mostly races gravel bikes at Catamount Family Center with a few races further afield. He has recently started doing the Green Mountain Bicycle Club’s practice crits. His racing career includes road, gravel, cross-country, trail, enduro, fat bikes, electric mountain bikes, and even cargo bikes.

“I ride five to six days a week,” Phillips said, “and I mix riding and skiing in the winter.” Although mountain biking has been his main discipline, Phillips finds time for all his bicycles. “I train on road bikes,” he said, “but I’ll take my road bike on gravel roads, my gravel bike on trails, and my mountain bike on the road.” Phillips’ preferred form of skiing is in the backcountry. “I enjoy walking up and skiing where other people don’t go,” he said.

Phillips wants people to recognize that the Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Committee is only an advisory group. They can field questions and requests, but they are limited in what they can do. Phillips noted that many of the committee members are new to municipal government but he’s hoping the group will grow and become better organized so they can improve safety and non-motorized transportation in town.

Although Phillips is new to municipal work, he’s excited to do what he can. “My work and history with bike riding, is something important to me in my professional and personal life,” he said. “I’m new to this kind of committee, but I feel like I have a lot of knowledge and experience to contribute.”