Fairport– CSEA member and Monroe Community College employee Meg LeBeau and her husband Craig took part in the 400 mile 19th Annual Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour July 9-16, 2017. Photo by C. LeBeau
WNY— More than 650 cyclists left their motor vehicles behind in Buffalo on July 9 to pedal along the historic Erie Canalway Trail to Albany in celebration of the Erie Canal Bicentennial as part of NYS Parks & Trails 19th annual Cycle the Erie Canal bike tour. CSEA was a proud supporting sponsor of this event.
The 400-mile journey along the historic Erie Canal ended in Albany on July 16. Along the way, cyclists enjoyed some of the finest scenery, most interesting history, and unparalleled cycling in the northeastern United States.
Those who participated in the excursion included Meg LeBeau, CSEA Monroe Community College Facilities secretary (pictured above) who traversed along the picturesque Erie Canalway Trail which is now 80 percent complete. Cyclists covered anywhere from 40 to 60 miles per day. The ongoing construction on the trail is scheduled to be complete by 2020 as part of the statewide 750-mile Empire State Trail.
The 360-mile Erie Canalway Trail, when complete, will be the longest intrastate multi-use trail in the country. For more than a decade, Parks & Trails New York has worked with the New York State Canal Corporation, local municipalities, trail groups, and other stakeholders to close the gaps in the trail while increasing trail visibility and highlighting economic opportunities for local communities. Several CSEA members have been actively involved in bringing this vision to fruition.
LeBeau reports the trip was a ton of fun and so well organized, she and her husband Craig plan to participate on the bike tour again next year.
-Ove Overmyer
