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Parks
& Trails New York Rolls Out
CycletheErieCanal.com
to Boost Bicycle Tourism in NYS
|
Citing growing
interest in cycling, new website designed to
help visitors
plan a bike adventure along Erie Canalway Trail
Updated
Interactive Map – Optimized for Mobile Devices – Makes it Easier to Plan
Erie Canalway Trail Cycling Trips
Albany,
NY – July 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / CycletheErieCanal.com
is a new website designed to promote cycling along the 360-mile trail that
follows one of America’s most treasured waterways. Recognizing the rising
popularity of cycling among baby boomers, families seeking more healthy
vacation options and millennials, who often prefer bikes to cars, Parks
& Trails New York is launching the new site to promote the Erie
Canalway Trail as a cycling destination and bring more tourism dollars
to upstate New York.
Built
in the early 1800s to transport goods to a growing nation, today the Erie
Canalway Trail stretches between Albany and Buffalo, NY, offering historical
sites, natural attractions, quaint towns and cultural venues along the
way. The new CycletheErieCanal.com is designed with an interactive map,
so riders can plan a ride based on location, distance or the types of attractions
they wish to visit.
“There
are plenty of bike trails across the country, but none that follow such
an historic and iconic waterway that truly shaped America,” says Robin
Dropkin, Executive Director, Parks & Trails New York. “Cycle the Erie
Canal is an exciting tourism opportunity and this website is an important
step in attracting new visitors. It’s particularly appropriate to launch
the new website this week, as 600 cyclists are currently crossing the state
on our 17th annual Cycle the Erie Canal cross-state tour.”
Whether
for a leisurely afternoon or a week-long adventure to become an official
“End-to-Ender,” CycletheErieCanal.com includes everything a visitor needs
to plan a ride, including:
-
Rider
reviews: first-hand accounts from riders along the Erie Canal
-
An interactive
map of the trail to track distance and find accommodations and services
-
Trip Planning:
suggestions based on both region and interest (history, nature, culture,
etc.)
-
Information
about the annual Cycle the Erie Canal cross-state ride, which attracts
more than 600 cyclists each July, and covers 400 miles between Buffalo
and Albany (This year’s ride was from held July 12-19).
“The level
grade of the Erie Canalway Trail makes it very accessible for riders of
all ages and abilities,” Dropkin explains. “Cyclists on the trail tell
us they love the variety of the trail – that they can experience everything
from a waterfall to world class art by hopping off their bike and visiting
one of the many communities along the way.”
According
to Parks & Trails New York’s 2014 report, “The Economic Impact of the
Erie Canalway Trail: An Assessment and User Profile of New York’s Longest
Multi-Use Trail,” visitors generate approximately $253 million in sales,
3,440 jobs, and $28.5 million in taxes for New York’s upstate economy each
year.
However,
the same report notes that just 2.5% of estimated annual trail visits are
made by persons residing outside the 35 counties surrounding the Erie Canalway
Trail. The new site is designed to especially attract riders from beyond
the Canalway corridor.
CycletheErieCanal.com
is a project of Parks & Trails New York, the state’s leading advocate
for improving health, economy and quality of life through the use and enjoyment
of green space. The site was created with funding from New York State Economic
Development / I LOVE NEW YORK, in partnership with the NYS Canal Corporation
and the National Park Service Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
For more information about Parks & Trails New York visit www.ptny.org,
connect to them on Facebook,
or follow them on Twitter.
Contact:
Robin
Dropkin
518-434-1583
Executive
Director
Parks
& Trails New York |
