According to the Schenectady Daily Gazette, the Canalway Trail System will remain incomplete for some time to come:

Missing link in bike trail will remain
State postpones project due to budget constraints
Friday, July 11, 2008
By Michael Lamendola
Gazette Reporter

SCHENECTADY — The state has postponed indefinitely efforts to finish gaps in the 524-mile long Canalway Trail System, including a six-mile gap between Rotterdam Junction and Amsterdam.

A state official cited a need to repair dams and canal locks as pre-empting bike path work.

Schenectady County officials and bicycle enthusiasts called the state’s decision unfortunate.

The state had planned to close the Rotterdam Junction and Amsterdam gap this year. Had it been completed, the bike trail would have run unbroken for 40 miles from Montgomery County to the Albany County line.

To date, the state has completed approximately 260 miles of the Canalway Trail System, leaving unfinished sections in Oneida, Herkimer and Erie counties. The trail system consists of four segments: the 100-mile Erie Canal Heritage Trail in western New York; the 36-mile Old Erie Canal State Park Trail in central New York; the 60-mile Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway in eastern New York; and the eight-mile Glens Falls Feeder Canal Trail.

Read the rest of the article.

Not to get too technical, but that’s a real bummer. The folks who write for this site, and thousands of others, use the Canalway Trail system regularly. We’ve all been looking forward to the day when it, like its namesake, would run from Albany to Buffalo.

Joshua Poppel of the New York Bicycling Coalition wrote about tonight’s Albany Common Council meeting in his first post for RocBike.com. (Welcome, Joshua!) The meeting was attended by a half-dozen cyclists — Mary Lou, Joshua, Andrew, Tom, George and me. Mary Lou, Joshua and I each spoke during the public comment period, thanking Councilman Calsolaro for his resolution and commenting on the state of cycling in Albany.

Mary Lou talked about the job of educating drivers to respect cyclists, and mentioned several of the events coming up during Capital Bike Month. I talked about the difficulties of cycling around the city of Albany, particularly for a family that’s trying to go car-free, which means riding with little kids. Joshua talked about the importance of the council’s endorsement of bike month, which he referred to as a no-cost way for the city to encourage cycling and smart transportation alternatives.

Later in the meeting, when the resolution came up for a vote, every member of the council co-sponsored it, and three of them spoke out in detail — Councilmembers Dominick Calsolaro (Ward 1), Corey Ellis (Ward 3) and James Sano (Ward 9). All three thanked the cyclists for coming to the meeting.

Councilman Sano said he’d recently looked through his garage and found five bicycles. He said he came up with enough parts to build one for himself. “I realized that I know how to work on bikes,” he said. Then he donated the rest of the bikes to Troy Bike Rescue.

Councilman Ellis said he knew a man who’d recently found a job and who then went to Troy Bike Rescue to build up a bike so he could ride to work. A few days later the man came in again. Councilman Ellis asked him whether something was wrong with the bike, and he said that he’d been hit by a car on the way to work. Councilman Ellis called on the Common Council to work to make Albany a safer place for cyclists.

Following the meeting, Councilman Ellis came over to us and said it was important for us to show up at the upcoming meeting for the city’s comprehensive plan. As soon as I locate that on the city’s site, I’ll be sure to post it.

TAKE ACTION! Please contact your member of the Common Council and thank them for sponsoring the resolution. You’ll find all their contact information here.

Here are photos from tonight’s meeting:

[Show as slideshow]

This is my first post on the site and it comes hot off of the Common Council Meeting in Albany this evening. I am sure Jason will be posting his comments as well and hopefully some pictures but I was hoping to weigh in before he beat me to it. I am happy to report that the Common Council unanimously approved the resolution proclaiming May as Bike Month. For those of you from more bicycle friendly communities this may seem like small potatoes but we take whatever we can get here in the Capital of NY. What was particularly satisfying about the resolution was that all 15 of the Common Council Members agreed to sign on as co-sponsors. We can only hope that this broad level of support will translate into more bicycle friendly initiatives as the city moves forward with the Comprehensive Plan (and let’s hope a bicycle master plan). Our thanks go out to Councilman Casolaro who introduced the resolution and continues to push for a bicycle and pedestrian and task force and to the handful of cyclists who showed up to support the initiative. Keep up the good work.

Jason sez: Here’s what’s happening in Albany during Capital Bike Month. More info is at NYBC.net.

DOWNLOADS

• Capital Bike Month flyer (PDF)
• 50 Ways To Celebrate Bike Month (PDF)
• Ride of Silence flyer (PDF)
• Poster Contest Rules (PDF)
• Safe Cycling For Kids flyer (PDF)

EVENTS

May 1st-31st

“Let’s Celebrate Bike Month!” Poster Contest for kids. Submissions accepted 5/1/-5/28; awards ceremony 5/31 during bicycle safety education class at Guilderland Public Library (see 5/31, below). Co-sponsored by the Guilderland Public Library and Altamont Free Library. Free and open to all children ages 4-17 throughout the Capital District. Prizes & giveaways sponsored by Plaine and Son and the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club.

Friday, May 2

5:30 - 9:00 p.m.: Urban Ride & Grand Opening of “Dream Wheels” exhibit at UAG Gallery, 247 Lark St., Albany. Show runs 5/2-5/23. Proceeds benefit NYBC and the Albany Bicycle Coalition. Urban ride departs at 5:30pm from Civil War Memorial in Washington Park (intersection of Henry Johnson Blvd. & State St.). 12-mile route featuring ABC’s Albany Bike Map and proposed bike routes; returns to UAG gallery for Grand Opening Gala.

Sunday, May 4

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Free “Open House” Day and BBQ at SMBA Trails. Team LUNA Chix of Upstate NY and the Saratoga Mountain Bike Association (SMBA) will be co-hosting several mountain bike rides throughout the day for various ability levels on the SMBA trails in Saratoga Springs. [NOTE: You are not required to be a SMBA member to attend this event.] Beginners, intermediates, and experts all welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, visit www.saratogamtb.org or contact john@saratogamtb.org or treesawmtb@yahoo.com.

Monday, May 12

5:30 p.m.: MHCC presents “Warm up for Bike to Work Day” Ride. Check your legs and practice your commuting route with the added benefit of increased safety in numbers that fellow cyclists can provide. Meet at 5:30pm at CDTA Delmar Park & Ride (intersection of Route 32 & 52, Delmar) for 13 mile round-trip venture from Delmar to Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany. Ride departs at 5:45pm. See www.webmhcc.org or contact kjempie@earthlink.net for more details.

Tuesday, May 13

9:00 - 10:30 a.m.: Legislative Breakfast. LOB Room 211A. Similar to the League of American Bicyclist’s National Bike Summit, this is an opportunity to learn about the latest state legislation pertaining to bicyclists and pedestrians, voice your concerns, and interact with your local and state representatives. Co-sponsored by CK Cycles. RSVP to nybc@nybc.net by Friday, May 9th.

10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Ride around the Capital. Following the breakfast, there will be a short ride around the State Capital and downtown Albany area.

5:00 - 8:00 p.m.: “Tune Up Your Bike Night” and Free Repair Clinics at Troy Bike Rescue, 15 Trinity Place, Albany, NY 12202. For more information, call 518.986.2256, email troybikerescue@gmail.com, or visit www.troybikerescue.org.

Wednesday, May 14

5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.: Bicycle Rodeo for Kids and Families. Free bike safety checks and helmet giveaways for children; one child’s bike will be donated to recipient of “Citizen’s Award,” chosen by Boys & Girls Club (B&GC). Location: Boys & Girls Club, 400 Craig Street, Schenectady. Co-sponsored by Plaine and Son and the Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady.

Thursday, May 15

5:00 p.m.: Commuter Contest: car vs. bus vs. cyclist. Location: Starbucks to Starbucks (downtown Albany to Stuyvesant Plaza). Fabulous prizes & swag courtesy of Steiner’s Sports. For more information, email nybc@nybc.net.

Friday, May 16

Bike to Work Day. 6 staging areas with mapped routes and bicycle escorts to downtown Albany; 3 rally points with designated bicycle parking; and a “commuter buddy” program offered to cyclists who choose not to ride alone. Co-sponsored by Downtown Albany BID, CDTA, O.G.S., Sports Signup, Sandwiches to Go, Steiner’s Sports, The Down Tube, Elevate Cycles, Easern Mountain Sports, Steuben Athletic Club, Capital District YMCA and Bruegger’s Bagels. Register in advance at biketoworkalbany.org.

7:00 p.m.: Film showing of “Contested Streets” at Guilderland Public Library (2228 Western Ave., Guilderland, NY 12084). Brief discussion to follow. Free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by Guilderland Public Library & New York Bicycling Coalition.

Saturday, May 17

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: “Savvy Cyclist” Road Class. Location: University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, College of Arts & Sciences Bldg. Room 123. This course is offered free of charge and brought to you by NYBC and a grant from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. RSVP to nybc@nybc.net by Thursday, May 15th to reserve a space.

Wednesday, May 21

6 p.m.: Ride of Silence (Albany). Start location: Corning Preserve (downtown Albany). 12-mile route will pass ghost bikes commemorating the deaths of 3 local cyclists. For more details, visit www.rideofsilence.org or email Claire Nolan or Sue Troll.

Saturday, May 31

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Safe Cycling for Kids (and Their Parents) Workshop. Guilderland Public Library. Winners of Bike Month poster contest announced and prizes distributed. Fun for the whole family! For more information, contact Jennifer Ogrodowski, Guilderland Public Library, at (518) 456-2400, ext. 34 or Judith Wines, Altamont Free Library, (518) 861-7239.

Here’s an article from the Albany Times-Union about the “Dream Wheels” cycling art exhibit. It’s part of the impressive list of activities for Capital Bike Month.

Cycles of art
‘Dream Wheels’ celebrates two-wheelers and National Bike Month

By DANIELLE FURFARO, Staff writer
First published: Sunday, April 27, 2008

In Tom Corrado’s steel sculpture “Green Man Cycling,” the man hunkers down, his arms and legs becoming the bike frame.

The piece is simple, almost primitive. Sort of like biking itself.

“You’re out in the open air, moving your arms and legs,” said Corrado, 62. “And art helps raise awareness about this very interesting, ancient, economic form of transportation.”

On Friday, May 2, the Upstate Artists Guild in Albany will present “Dream Wheels,” an exhibit focusing on bicycle-related art. The exhibit will mark the beginning of National Bike Month, and its opening coincides with Albany’s monthly First Friday gallery walk.

“I’ve always thought that bicycling was a big part of community building,” said Lorenz Worden, a watercolor artist, avid biker and member of the UAG.

It was Worden who came up with the idea for the bike art show. He approached gallery manager Rebecca Schoonmaker with the idea to hold the bike-themed exhibit in May.

“It’s an effort to illustrate that there is a common element between artists and bicycles,” said Worden, “Artists usually articulate positive social aspects and biking is a positive social thing. So many artists ride bikes.”

• Read the rest of the article.
• …and check out the calendar for Capital Bike Month.

I spent a couple hours today staffing the New York Bicycling Coalition table at the Adirondack Sports & Fitness Expo, held in the Saratoga City Center complex in Saratoga Springs. It was a fun event, featuring rock climbing, kayak demonstrations in an indoor “lake,” plus lots of bikes, cyclists, runners and other outdoor enthusiasts. Jenn Clunie from NYBC was there with me, and we had a lot of fun talking bikes and biking with the attendees. Later in the day I was relieved from my post by Amy and her daughter Lauren, two very cool cyclists who were a delight to chat with. (Lauren even demonstrated the proper use of blinky lights. Not bad for 5 years old!)

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Jen and the boys are visiting from Rochester. We had lunch at Richfield Park today, and all four of us got there on two bikes. Bernie rode on the deck of the Packet Boat (Xtracycle), and John was strapped into one of the Freeloader bags. Jen rode my Raleigh Sprite, because her new bike is still in Rochester. It was a gorgeous day — over 70 degrees, a light breeze, blue sky. We took a picnic lunch with us and enjoyed every minute of the ride and the lunchtime.

We also rode over to the Down Tube bike shop on Madison and got a new Trek bike for Bernie. His old bike was falling apart, and he needed to step up to something a bit older. His Trek is a 20″ bike with both a coaster break and a rear brake on the handlebar. We all rode home through Washington Park. A cyclist named Casey rode up beside us and said, “Nice trailer. Hey wait, that’s not a trailer, is it? That’s awesome.”

When we got home, Jen asked Bernie if he liked his new bike. “I don’t like it,” he said. “I love it.”

Even better, John actually fell asleep while strapped into the Packet Boat. He slept most of the way home from the bike shop, still holding onto one of the straps with one hand. It was just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Maybe he’ll be a sailor. I’ve heard they can sleep while holding onto the rigging.

I had a nice chat with a guy named Jim who cycles as his main transportation. He rides a Bridgestone MB1 from about 20 years ago. He was admiring the Packet Boat outside my “satellite office,” the Muddy Cup on Madison. I also ran into Fred at the Down Tube. He was the guy I met at the end of my driveway last night while I was taking my inaugural GlowMotion 08 ride. “Nice to see you in daylight,” he said.

Jen commented last night that people are quite friendly here. As far as the cycling community is concerned, I’ve got to say I agree.

We had lunch at Richfield Park today, and all four of us got there on two bikes. Bernie rode on the deck of the Packet Boat (Xtracycle), and John was strapped into one of the Freeloader bags. Jen rode my Raleigh Sprite, because her new bike is still in Rochester. It was a gorgeous day — over 70 degrees, a light breeze, blue sky. We took a picnic lunch with us and enjoyed every minute of the ride and the lunchtime.

We also rode over to the Down Tube bike shop on Madison and got a new Trek bike for Bernie. His old bike was falling apart, and he needed to step up to something a bit older. His Trek is a 20″ bike with both a coaster break and a rear brake on the handlebar. We all rode home through Washington Park. A cyclist named Casey rode up beside us and said, “Nice trailer. Hey wait, that’s not a trailer, is it? That’s awesome.”

When we got home, Jen asked Bernie if he liked his new bike. “I don’t like it,” he said. “I love it.”

Even better, John actually fell asleep while strapped into the Packet Boat. He slept most of the way home from the bike shop, still holding onto one of the straps with one hand. It was just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Maybe he’ll be a sailor. I’ve heard they can sleep while holding onto the rigging.

I had a nice chat with a guy named Jim who cycles as his main transportation. He rides a Bridgestone MB1 from about 20 years ago. He was admiring the Packet Boat outside my “satellite office,” the Muddy Cup on Madison. I also ran into Fred at the Down Tube. He was the guy I met at the end of my driveway last night while I was taking my inaugural GlowMotion 08 ride. “Nice to see you in daylight,” he said.

Jen commented last night that people are quite friendly here. As far as the cycling community is concerned, I’ve got to say I agree.

The rest of the photos are at Fort Orange Cycling.

My new 1957 Raleigh Sprite

A newly modified 1973 carbon-based life form

More info and more pictures are available at the inviting and mysterious Fort Orange Cycling.

Today I went to the annual meeting of the New York Bicycling Coalition to do a presentation on bike blogging … and I ended up on the board. More on that later, but you can see pictures from the event over at Fort Orange Cycling.

Here’s a quick video of Jen’s new 1958 S.C.O. bike:

Jen found a 1958 Dutch S.C.O. bike on Craigslist, and we picked it up this weekend. It’s wonderful! Nicely restored by the bike mechanic who sold it to us — owned since the 50s by a doctor’s wife. Complete with built-in child seat, dynamo-powered lights, three speeds and coaster break. One step closer to car free!

UPDATE: It turns out that Jen’s new bike may actually be Danish rather than Dutch. See the comments for this post for some expert information. And of course, my use of the word “expert” means that the information is from someone other than me.

From the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy:

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has a host of fun suggestions to get you walking and biking around town! And if you’re already doing so regularly, this is your chance to be part of a larger event, and inspire others to enjoy active transportation.

April 7-13 is National Public Health Week (NPHW). RTC is a partner and this year’s theme is “Climate Change: Our Health in the Balance.” All around the country, individuals will be making the connection between personal health and the health of our planet, and how both can be improved by walking and biking more, and driving less.

In particular, Tuesday, April 8, is “Travel Differently Day.” Organizations and communities around the country are encouraging individuals to walk or bike instead of drive. NPHW’s online calendar lists events around the country in which you can get involved. Find out about a local event and join the movement to improve your health and the climate at the same time.

If a “Travel Differently Day” event isn’t happening in your area, check out RTC’s online trail-finder and discover a rail-trail near you that can put you on the path of active transportation.

Finally, do you want to make walking or biking a more regular part of your life? Take the Burn Calories, Not Carbon! pledge and make your voice heard. By pledging to walk and bike more and drive less, you send a message to your political leaders that you want more transportation choices in your community.

Thank you and have fun “traveling differently,”

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

On Tuesday, I have a staff meeting in Saratoga. I’m going to celebrate “Travel Differently Day” by riding my bike to the train station and then getting to Saratoga by train rather than car.

From the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy:

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has a host of fun suggestions to get you walking and biking around town! And if you’re already doing so regularly, this is your chance to be part of a larger event, and inspire others to enjoy active transportation.

April 7-13 is National Public Health Week (NPHW). RTC is a partner and this year’s theme is “Climate Change: Our Health in the Balance.” All around the country, individuals will be making the connection between personal health and the health of our planet, and how both can be improved by walking and biking more, and driving less.

In particular, Tuesday, April 8, is “Travel Differently Day.” Organizations and communities around the country are encouraging individuals to walk or bike instead of drive. NPHW’s online calendar lists events around the country in which you can get involved. Find out about a local event and join the movement to improve your health and the climate at the same time.

If a “Travel Differently Day” event isn’t happening in your area, check out RTC’s online trail-finder and discover a rail-trail near you that can put you on the path of active transportation.

Finally, do you want to make walking or biking a more regular part of your life? Take the Burn Calories, Not Carbon! pledge and make your voice heard. By pledging to walk and bike more and drive less, you send a message to your political leaders that you want more transportation choices in your community.

Thank you and have fun “traveling differently,”

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

On Tuesday, I have a staff meeting in Saratoga. I’m going to celebrate “Travel Differently Day” by riding my bike to the train station and then getting to Saratoga by train rather than car.