This summer, PTNY welcomed Eliza Orlando-Milbauer to the Planning and Policy Team as our new Planning Coordinator.
Eliza has lived in six different cities since leaving her home in Boston to study public policy and education and has now landed in the beautiful capital region of Albany, NY. Throughout those many moves she learned first hand the impact equitable urban planning has on quality of life and community development. After working to improve the Capital Region’s access to outdoor physical activity and multi-modal transportation, she joined the PTNY team to contribute to statewide change. In her free time, Eliza enjoys camping, hiking, running her way through Upstate New York’s parks and trails, cooking food grown in her community garden, and rooting for all things Boston sports.
As part of the Planning and Policy Team, Eliza works closely with PTNY’s Trail Town Programs and Bike Friendly New York Business Program along the Empire State Trail. So when the opportunity arose, she figured there was no better way to experience the trail than by cycling its entire Erie Canalway leg.
Eliza takes us through her week on Cycle the Erie Canal!
I joined Cycle the Erie Canal (CTEC) like many first time riders: slightly nervous, very excited, and guided by an expert mentor. I’ve always been a biker as a means of transportation, and an avid trail user, albeit on foot, but with my longest ride under my belt being shorter than even the shortest day of the tour, I had a lot of questions. For others in my boat, this year, CTEC connected first time riders to experienced cyclists in the new Buddy Program where newbies could ask questions and get advice.
In Parks & Trails New York (PTNY)’s own impromptu internal version, I was guided by Erica Schneider, the Program and Policy Manager, who has both developed and stewarded the Empire State Trail Towns and Bike Friendly New York Businesses (BFNY) programs, and has completed CTEC four times already.
Like the Erie Canalway Trail itself, CTEC is dense with pitstops of variety and intrigue, to the point it can be difficult to decide which ones to hit and which you will save for next year in order to make it to camp in time for the live music and dinner. My mild nerves about the distances we were traveling and the instinct to prioritize the most well known sites, meant that I wasn’t planning on veering off route too often. Thank goodness for my “Buddy” Erica. She knew all the hidden gems, and more importantly, she knew the value of taking the time to explore something new.
Every Great Ride Has a Few Detours
Some of the most memorable stops were the ones I would never have discovered on my own. After 62 miles in 96 degrees heat, I was ready to speed past Medina, but Erica convinced me to make one last detour and explore the Medina Triennial, the town-wide art exhibit. The Floating Garden on a canal barge was oasis enough on a hot day – a mini, transportable Eden, teeming with life, food, and shade. One thing led to another, and refreshed by handpicked barge strawberries, we accepted free glasses of white wine and explored the rest of the projects, all more interesting than the last. And to think, I would have biked on by.
The same was true of Little Falls, impressive I was sure, but another short pedal off the route. I was more than content to take in the views from the trail-side and munch on my granola bars. However, Erica had better plans, diverting us briefly off trail to the whimsical BFNY shops on Canal Place. We purchased a baguette from Fox Tale Artisan Bakery, cheese from The Mustard Seed, and a log of salami. Needless to say, this impromptu side-of-the-trail meal may have been my favorite.
More than just a bike ride
My first CTEC was fun, but deep familiarity with the state’s trail system is also a cornerstone of the expertise we at PTNY bring to statewide advocacy, so, in between the ice cream stops and the outdoor concerts, work commenced. Erica and I collected trail counter data, we scoped out forthcoming detours and greenway plans, we assessed wayfinding signage, and we reported spots of trail degradation. Specifically, in my scope, traveling the trail end-to-end was an invaluable way to visit the communities with whom I will be partnering. Passing through Trail Town participants of past years grounded me in the strength of the network that already exists. Entering this year’s communities, Lyons and Utica, offered an opportunity to assess and adjust recommendations for their Action Agendas we will be developing this fall. Erica’s food detours were tasty, yes, but they also were a means of introducing me to already certified New York Businesses and the coalition of advocates and allies across the state.
I have spent the last year engaging in the local planning of New York’s Capital Region, and my proximate section of the Empire State Trail. I have seen the economic, environmental, and health impact of such an outdoor recreation asset. I have also seen the inequities of access, the complexity of trail related infrastructure projects, the difficulty in getting all of the invested and responsible parties on the same page with each other and the members of the community. While my experience has been Albany-area focused, my time on CTEC meeting our partners reinforced that these are universal realities, and I am very excited to join the statewide coalition tackling them head on.
Lastly, if you are considering CTEC as a first time rider, check out the Buddy program, I can’t recommend it enough!