Warm Muscles & Cold Oysters for the LI Greenway

It was pouring buckets at 7am on August 26 as we all began to assemble in Jamaica, Queens at the starting line. Yet, everyone was all smiles. Why? One, we were confident that the weather would soon clear and the sun would shine. Two, we were pretty sure that the pie, oysters, tacos, and beer that awaited us along the route would be as delicious as advertised. And three, we were happy to be riding for a beloved cause: the completion of The Long Island Greenway (LIG).

By the time we arrived at the Blue Point Brewery in Patchogue, our smiles had grown. The weather had cleared and the sun was shining for most of the 60-mile day. The food was, indeed, delicious... especially the oysters (Blue Points!). We got to meet folks who care deeply about greenway expansion in NYS, and make new friends. Most exciting though, after a day of riding and chatting and meeting lots of locals along the way, we all knew that it was not a matter of IF The Long Island Greenway would be built, but how soon.

Back in 1998—25 years ago—before the Empire State Trail, and before the Erie Canalway Trail, there was PTNY's Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour. The first few dozen riders were cycling along the Erie Canalway Trail for the same reasons we all ride or hike... the pure joy of traveling under your own steam in beautiful surroundings. But they also rode to bring a BIG vision to fruition: they rode to establish a car-free greenway trail connecting Buffalo and Albany.

And so a movement grows with the Bike to the Brewery Ride. Will it take 25 years? No.

Now that the economic, social, and health benefits of greenway trails are much better known, we are hopeful we can make it happen sooner. With the Trust for Public Land and Parks & Trails New York leading the way—and with the support we are seeing from forward-thinking Long Island businesses—we believe we can win critical support from key players like the Long Island Power Authority and LIRR, who own the rights to key sections of the proposed route.

Join us next year—rain and/or shine—for pie, tacos, oysters, and friends. Together we can make The Long Island Greenway—the long overdue extension to the Empire State Trail—a reality.

In the meantime, if you want to get involved in the campaign for the LIG, please reach out to PTNY’s Dylan Carey at dcarey@ptny.org.
Here's to building and expanding opportunities for ALL New Yorkers to access phenomenal greenway trails across the state!