Organizations behind the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail initiated a new program
to enhance the pleasure of Niskayuna residents who use the trail.
The several groups that promote the Bike-Hike trail, including the town of
Niskayuna, had a kick-off of a pilot project of the state’s Canalway
Trail Ambassador Program on Saturday, Aug. 2, at 10 a.m. at Lions Park in
Niskayuna.
Trail ambassadors will serve three roles during the two-month pilot: to assist
and inform trail users, offering directions and details about the trail and the
surrounding area; to promote courtesy, safety and awareness of the trail as a
valuable public resource; and to monitor the trail and the conditions around it.
The Friends of the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail said they hope to learn from
this pilot program, with the goal of expanding the program into nearby
communities in the spring of 2009. The current trail ambassadors are: Gillian
Scott, Betty Engler, Jeffery Oswald, David Lee Pratt, Arden Rauch and Dick
Westergard.
Joe Landry, Niskayuna town supervisor, lauded the project. “We are very
pleased and honored that the town of Niskayuna will be the first community in
New York state to have trail ambassadors assisting the users of our bike-hike
trail. We would like to thank the involved organizations, especially the
Friends of the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail, for their efforts in implementing
this initiative.”
Wally Elton, of Parks and Trails New York, officiated at the event. The
organizations leading this project are: The Friends of the Mohawk-Hudson
Bike-Hike Trail, the Canalway Trails Association New York, and Parks and Trails
New York, and the state Canal Corporation, with financial support from L.L.
Bean.
Carmella R. Mantello, director of the Canal Corporation, said, “The Canalway
Trail provides a crucial link to communities across the state and encourages
increased recreation, tourism and economic development. The trail
ambassadors will play a vital role in educating visitors to the trail, while at
the same time increasing awareness about this tremendous resource. The
Canal Corporation is pleased to work with all of our partners on the Trail
Ambassador Pilot Program and hopes to duplicate this program in other parts of
the state.”
Mike Miller, representing Assemblyman James Tedisco at the event said, “Mr.
Tedisco is very supportive of the state’s canalway and is pleased
that the pilot project is being championed here in Schenectady County.”
The Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail runs from the Corning Preserve in the City of
Albany to Rotterdam Junction with only a few short gaps. It is part of the
Canalway Trail system which, when completed, will run nearly 500 miles from
Buffalo to Albany, following the course of the old Erie Canal. In Niskayuna, the
bike-hike trail covers more than 10 miles, stretching from the Colonie town line
to the Schenectady city line and offering access to a variety of parks and
natural areas.
The Canalway Trails Association New York is a statewide organization of trail
owners/maintainers and other stakeholders formed to assist localities in
developing, managing, and maintaining the Canalway Trail system.
The Friends of the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail is a local volunteer
organization that works to ensure the long-term success of the trail and related
trails. The group’s mission is to develop through public education
and stewardship the historical, recreational and economic opportunities of the
Mohawk-Hudson trail.
Parks and Trails New York is the only statewide not-for-profit organization
dedicated to enhancing the health and quality of life of New Yorkers through the
use and enjoyment of a growing network of parks, pedestrian and bicycle trails,
greenways, and heritage corridors around the state. It also conducts an annual
bicycle tour, called Cycling the Erie Canal, from Buffalo to Albany.