Open for Business

Are you ready for a Canalway Trail outing this summer? Are you a business located along the Erie Canalway Trail looking to serve visiting cyclists? PTNY and the NYS Canal Corporation have both groups covered with Bike Friendly New York (BFNY), a new business certification program launched in May.

While many New York communities and several other states and Canadian provinces have bike-friendly programs, BFNY will be New York’s first large-scale bike-friendly certification. Besides providing a higher level of service for cyclists on the Erie Canalway Trail and other New York routes, BFNY will be an opportunity for cycling-based economic development in trailside communities.

Ready to Roll in Schenectady

On May 9, PTNY and the NYS Canal Corporation hosted a press event and information session. The two partnering organizations presented a Bike Friendly New York Certified Business sign to the Stockade Inn, one of 30 businesses certified to date.

“The Stockade Inn is located right on the bike trail and we have always been welcoming to cyclists, including providing interior storage for our overnight guests, so becoming one of the first Bike Friendly New York certified businesses in Schenectady County was a no-brainer,” said Jeff McDonald, owner of the Stockade Inn and President of the Schenectady County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Check out coverage of the Bike Friendly New York launch in Schenectady in the Times Union and the Daily Gazette.

More Information

To be certified as bike-friendly, businesses must demonstrate that they have taken steps to cater to cyclists, such as becoming knowledgeable about local trails and cycling routes and having basic repair tools available. Above these basic requirements, participating businesses can choose from a list of additional amenities that they commit to offering. Businesses that meet the requirements and complete the online application will receive a decal to display at their business, as well as being listed in the Cycling the Erie Canal guidebook and on www.CycletheErieCanal.com. PTNY will also publicize the list of certified businesses through its other communications throughout the year.

More information, including an interactive map of certified businesses, program materials, and the online application can be found at www.ptny.org/bikefriendly.

Make cycling your business in 2017 with Bike Friendly New York!