Albany Bicycle Coalition

Directions Website Contact the organization

Albany Bicycle Coalition Albany Bicycle Coalition (ABC) is a coalition of individuals throughout New York's Capital Region interested in promoting bicycling in any form.

Our goal is to have bicycling recognized as a viable means of both transportation and recreation.

Local Bicycling News – [10/6/26 – 307] – Updates for Friends of Cycling, Walking, and Good Living in the Capital Region....
10/06/2026

Local Bicycling News – [10/6/26 – 307] – Updates for Friends of Cycling, Walking, and Good Living in the Capital Region. CONTACT: [email protected]



Local Advocates Speak Out Against
Proposed Albany County E-Bike Law

Ben McKrell and Casey Allen of Capital Streets and Ed Brennan of the Albany Bicycle Coalition spoke out against problems they identified with the proposed County E-Bike/E-Scooter Law at the September 29th meeting of Albany County Legislature.

YouTube video of the hearing can be found here. The three minute public comments of Ben, Casey and Ed start about four minutes into the video. The advocates support legislation curbing misuse but don't want to negatively impact the many people that safely use these convenient, affordable devices to get around. All want to see efforts to dissuade misuse of micromobility devices, especially e-motos, devices that are illegal and dangerous that are often confused with legal devices. They asked that something be done to prohibit sale of such devices, which is not addressed by the County proposal. They want to see more done to educate young and old about illegal devices and how to use legal devices safely and lawfully. This is also lacking in the County proposal. Interestingly, a City of Schenectady proposal that was also addressed at a public forum last week speaks to both education and sale of illegal devices.

Mr. Brennan also addressed the potential impact of helmet requirements on the Capital Region's successful bike share program. He pointed out that CDPHP Cycle! has greatly increased the number of bicyclists on our roads. He noted that more bicycles on roads normalizes bicycle use and makes it safer for all bicycle riders. The bikeshare program presupposes that bikes will be readily available to those that want them whether they have a helmet with them or not. As most people don't carry around bike helmets, the threat of a helmet ticket would very likely sharply reduce the use of those bikes and possibly kill the program. Less bicyclists on our roads will decrease safety for those that still bike, whether they wear helmets or not. Significantly, CDPHP Cycle! e-bikes have a top speed of only 15 mph and executives reported to the NY Assembly there were only two reported crashes in the program's ten years of operation.

Get caught up with the proposal and get your comments to your County Legislator. See the latest version of the proposed County Law E here.

Annual Albany Rural Cemetery Halloween Ride

Sunday, 10/25/26. Free. 11:00 AM Albany Rural Cemetery. Free. Some long time residents of Albany Rural Cemetery are waiting to meet you and tell you their Halloween stories.

We will meet at south entrance road, north of Rt 378. Parking permitted along entrance road for this event (with right side tires off road).
• Distance: about 9 miles. Riding time: 90 minutes;
• Minimum age: 12. Riders under age 18 must be accompanied by adult;
• Helmets and signed waiver required;
• Recommended bikes: hybrid, gravel, mountain, fat tire (32mm+ tires);
• Costumes encouraged;
• Lunch option after the ride (Loudon Plaza mall);
• Donations accepted for the Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery.
• Reservations – not required, but we appreciate RSVPs to: [email protected]
• For additional details on this and other ABC events, see:
https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/upcoming-events/

Public Meeting - October 7th, 5 to 7pm
Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library

The Capital Region Transportation Council in partnership with Saratoga County and the Towns of Halfmoon and Clifton Park will hold a second public meeting on this study at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, Room A-B, 475 Moe Road, Clifton Park, NY 12065. Per the announcement, the open house style meeting will allow attendees to learn about and provide feedback on design concepts for the Kinns Road/Farm to Market Road (County Route 109) corridor. A brief presentation will be given at 5:15 p.m. and will include an overview of the Study’s draft concepts for potential roadway improvements. The study focuses on assessing transportation options to improve safety, accessibility, and connectivity for all users.

The project website can be found here.

Updated 9/30/26 Sunday Oct. 25, 11:00 AM – Halloween Bike Ride Albany Rural Cemetery. Free. Meet at south entrance road, north of Rt 378. Parking permitted along entrance road for this event …

Local Bicycling News – [9/28/26 – 306] – Updates for Friends of Cycling, Walking, and Good Living in the Capital Region....
09/28/2026

Local Bicycling News – [9/28/26 – 306] – Updates for Friends of Cycling, Walking, and Good Living in the Capital Region. CONTACT: [email protected]



Proposed Albany County E-Bike Law
The Bad, The Good & the Ugly
Public Hearing Tuesday, Sept 27th, 7PM

There have been some improvements to the proposed Albany County Law regulating E-Bikes and E-Scooters. However, some issues still remain which should be corrected. Get caught up with the proposal and get your comments to your County Legislator. A public hearing will be held Tuesday, Sept. 29th at 7pm. The hearing will occur at the Albany County Legislative Chambers in the Albany County Courthouse (use entrance to the Courthouse at 6 Lodge St. Albany, NY 12207). See the latest version of the proposed County Law E here.

THE BAD: the "findings". The findings don't directly change the law, but they set a terrible tone - especially this finding:
"Bicycles with electric assist and electric scooters contain motors which can rapidly increase in speed up to 20 miles per hour with little or no physical effort."

1) This is false - class 1 bicycles with electric assist require pedaling or the motor stops assisting.
2) There is no legislative point to the statement except to demean those that use bicycles with electric assist as lazy and unworthy.

THE BAD: the legislative findings completely ignore the many benefits of bicycles with electric assist and e-scooters, including:
they are an affordable means of transportation for those that can't afford a personal motor vehicle. This is especially important now when we are in the midst of shocking gas price increases and a general affordability crisis.
they are a motorized means of transportation in a County that requires motor vehicle transportation for people that need to work, shop and see to the daily requirements of their lives and their families.
they provide quick, flexible point to point transportation in a County where public transportation is often inadequate or prohibitively time consuming
they are increasingly being used by senior citizens, persons recovering from injuries and persons that lack the stamina for our hilly area who still wish to enjoy bicycling, make use of our trail system and ride with families and friends.

THE BAD: The legislation doesn't address what is generally recognized as one of the most dangerous traffic safety issues, namely the use of illegal high speed devices. Instead, its focus is how legal low speed devices are used. High speed, dangerous illegal devices are those most likely to lead to death and serious injury. That said, measures may be necessary to help police contend with misuse of legal e-bikes and e-scooters by minors and people acting recklessly in traffic.

THE GOOD: Some things were changed in the substance of the legislation after our complaints:
The prohibition of e-bikes & e-scooters on County land was changed to exclude County parking lots (so County employees could commute and citizens could do County business with e-bike or e-scooter as a means of transport
The County rail trail was also excluded from the prohibition
The penalty for not wearing a helmet is waived on 1st offense and can be waived by court if offenders return with proof they purchased a helmet or can't afford one
Violations of drunk/drugged riding can't be enforced without a crash (ABC President, Ed Brennan pointed out this is stipulated by the state law and questioned whether the County could override that expression of State policy. It seems they can still seize and impound the e-bike or e-scooter, they just can't ticket the impaired rider)
The proposal prohibits various sorts of reckless riding, imposing fines and possible seizure and impoundment of the device

THE UGLY: The proposed law still has a major issue regarding helmets:
The proposal requires every e-bike & e-scooter rider to wear a helmet - this can be a big problem for users of CDPHP Cycle! e-bikes & e-scooters if enforced. It could very well be a bike share killer.
The more drivers experience and expect to see bicyclists on the roads, the more accustomed they are driving around bicyclists and the fewer per capital crashes there are between bicyclists and motorists. CDPHP Cycle! has vastly increased the number of bicyclists on our roadways and made bicycling safer for all people that bike.
A key component of bike share system success is that they are a convenient transportation alternative to people on an as needed basis. Few people carry around bike helmets for spur of the moment needs. Enforcement of helmet laws on bike share users can be expected to vastly reduce usage. Fewer bikes will be on the road, bicycling will be more dangerous for all people that bike - whether they wear helmets or not.
A better County helmet law would exclude bike share devices which (1) are moderate speed (sub-16mph) pedal-assist devices, (2) require user agreements that stipulate helmet use and (3) stipulate that they will be used by persons over 16.
Another compromise approach would be to limit adult helmet violations to those that commit a secondary safety violation - such as reckless riding, riding under the influence, riding on sidewalks, and riding on the wrong side of the road. Such violations make it more likely individuals would be in a crash where a helmet would make a difference.
The proposal also don't recognize that persons that wear their hair in buns, braids and other raised styles or wear headcoverings for religious reasons can have very hard time finding suitable and reasonably priced bicycle helmets.

THE OTHER:
The proposal passes fines and restitution for acts of minors on to parents. It is unclear if passing violations on to parents in a strict liability kind of way is permitted given the state law requires parent/guardians to authorize or knowingly permit violations (VTL § 1230). Additionally, VTL § 1242 type violations require parent/guardian presence in the place and time where the violation took place. § 1242 includes the following violations: operator under 16; use on public lands, sidewalk usage; not yielding to a pedestrian; not riding in single file; riding on roads over 30mph; speeding; class 3 operation outside NYC; operation without a proper label.
Most everything else in the County proposal just repeats existing state vehicle and traffic law.

We Passed the Law - Now Pass the Word!
Albany County Safe Passing Law

Do you have a lawn? We have a lawn sign for you. Or maybe you want to mount a sign on your bike, like the rider above! If you want a 3 foot safe passing lawn sign, email [email protected]. We have a limited number available. No charge if you can pick it up. (NOTE: we won't turn down a $5 donation to offset the cost so we can order more! Our donation page is at: https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/about/donate/)

ABC September Monthly Meeting Wednesday, September 30th, 6:30pm
If You Are Reading This, You Are Invited

In person: Pine Hills Library small meeting room, 1st floor S.E. corner; 517 Western Ave, Albany
Via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86229177202?pwd=Rp8j4qb0KAEakrjfbfrPs0Xeb4yGpO.1

Albany Bicycle Coalition | 389 McCormack Rd | Albany, NY 12208

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

09/16/2026

Local Bicycling News – [9/16/26 – 306] – Updates for Friends of Cycling, Walking, and Good Living in the Capital Region. CONTACT: [email protected]



We Passed the Law - Now Pass the Word!
Albany County Safe Passing Law

Do you have a lawn? We have a lawn sign for you. If you want a 3 foot safe passing lawn sign, email [email protected]. We have a limited number available. No charge if you can pick it up. (NOTE: we won't turn down a $5 donation to offset the cost so we can order more! Our donation page is at: https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/about/donate/)

See You at the Upper Madison Street Fair!

Albany Bicycle Coalition will be at the Upper Madison Street Fair on Sunday, September 27th from noon to 5pm. Stop by and see us!

We will be giving away several dozen rear bike lights for free so our cycling friends can be better seen on the streets as days grow short. We are also raffling off a Trek Verve 1 Disc Lowstep Hybrid Style Bike, 3x7 Speed, Size Large. Raffle tickets are $2 each, 3 for $5. Funds gathered will help support our efforts to improve bike safety - including our bike light giveaway. The bike was donated to ABC and only been test ridden. The winner will be drawn at the end of the Upper Madison Street Fair. We will have the bike at the Fair for all to see.

Want to buy a raffle ticket but can't make the fair? Make a $2 or $5 donation through our website and click on "add special instructions to seller" - include "Trek Raffle, Your Name, Your Phone Number". We will email your raffle ticket number(s) and add you to the drawing. For information on the bike, see comparable model at: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/hybrid-bikes/comfort-recreation-bikes/verve/verve-1-disc-lowstep-gen-4/p/32736/

We Biked the Branches

On a sunny Saturday, September 12th, ABC held its 2026 Bike the Branches Ride. 14 riders gathered to visit 6 Albany Public Libraries. APL's Executive Director, Andrea Nicolay, joined the fun and gave it a big thumbs up. We had a short bicycle themed poetry reading at each stop. We had a special stop at the Albany "Poetree" which can be found in Hudson-Jay Park. Shannon Draucker, keeper of the Poetree, changes the poem on the Poetree every few weeks. Go Poetree hunting in Hudson-Jay Park soon if you want to see the poem she read to us (hint: it's a small park and the Poetree isn't hard to find near the Hudson Ave side).

Kids Really Learned to Ride!

On Sunday, September 13th, ABC, a crack team of trainers, mechanics and others held a Kids Learn to Ride event as part of the South End Children's Cafe Block Party. NY Bicycling Coalition, Albany Bike Rescue, Albany County Department of Health, CDPHP Cycle!, Albany City Neighborhood Services and the Albany Housing Authority were our co-sponsors. Our friends at Eden's Rose/Wheels Up! were also on hand to help provide bikes to kids that needed them. 14 kids participated in the 2 hour Learn to Ride training, and dozens of kids received bikes and helmets.

Thank you to the South End Children's Cafe and the Salvation Army for the wonderful work you do and for inviting us to join a great block party. Special thanks to our League of American Bicyclist Certified Instructors, mechanics and essential helpers: Lea Foster, Claire Nolan, Tom Benware, Kenneth Louzier, Mike Rozdol and Ira Share. A big thanks too - to the kids for the joy you gave us all.

Discover your next great ride with Verve 1 Disc Low Step. See the bike and visit your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

09/08/2026

Local Bicycling News – [9/8/26 – 305] – Updates for Friends of Cycling, Walking, and Good Living in the Capital Region. CONTACT: [email protected]


Bike the Branches/Poetry in Motion Ride 2026

ABC's annual Bike the Branches ride is Saturday, September 12th. We will be gathering at 12:45am at the Pine Hills Branch, leaving at 1pm and returning about 3pm. There will be a short poetry reading at each branch. This will be a leisurely group ride of about 9 miles, with some hills. It is not a race & we don't leave people behind! The ride is free. All riders must wear a bike helmet. All riders must be age 12 or older, those under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Complete Details at: https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/upcoming-events/bike-the-branches-ride/. Reservations – not required, but we appreciate if you RSVP to: [email protected] to let us know you’re coming, and how many people are in your group. If you wish to read a short poem (preferably something bicycle or Albany related), let us know that as well!

Kids Learn to Ride Event

Many kids can learn to bicycle in about 2 hours with this tried and true method!

ABC is teaming up with NY Bicycling Coalition, the County Health Dept, Albany City Neighborhood Services and the South End Children's Cafe to teach more kids the joy of bicycling. The event will take place at the South End Children's Cafe Block Party from 2 to 5 pm, September 13th in the lot behind the South End Children's Cafe, 33 Rensselaer St, Albany, NY.

The training is free for children from 5 to 10 years old. There is a limit to how many kids we can train. Please pre-register at: www.nybc.net/AlbanyLearnToRide. We will be providing free bikes and helmets for registered kids that need them.

We also need volunteers! If you have bike mechanic skills; or if you want to help with signing in kids; or if you can help fit helmets; or if you are good at "cat herding"; or if you are a League Certified Instructor - please e-mail [email protected]! It is incredibly joyful to see kids learn ride bikes during this two hour program. We hope you will join us.

We Passed the Law - Now Pass the Word!
Albany County Safe Passing Law

Do you have a lawn? We have a lawn sign for you. If you want a 3 foot safe passing lawn sign, email [email protected]. We have a limited number available. No charge if you can pick it up. (NOTE: we won't turn down a $5 donation to offset the cost so we can order more! Our donation page is at: https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/about/donate/)

Erie Canal Museum's
Beers, Bikes, and Barges Ride

September 10, 6pm. Join the Historic Albany Foundation, Discover Albany, and the Erie Canal Museum for this 90 minute cycling tour through Albany looking at the city’s Erie Canal and brewing history. See sites like the location of the enormous John Taylor and Sons Brewery and Lock #1 on the Old Erie. The ride begins and ends at Common Roots Brewing Company, where you will be treated to a b**r as part of your ride. See details and purchase tickets at: https://www.simpletix.com/e/b**rs-bikes-barges-tickets-262431.

Trek Verve 1 Disc Lowstep Bike Raffle

Albany Bicycle Coalition is raffling off a Trek Verve 1 Disc Lowstep Hybrid Style Bike, 3x7 Speed, Size Large. Raffle tickets are $2 each, 3 for $5. Funds gathered will help support our efforts to improve bike safety - including our 2nd annual bike light giveaway at the the Upper Madison Street Fair. The bike was donated to ABC and only been test ridden. The winner will be drawn at the end of the Upper Madison Street Fair on September 27th. We will have the bike at the Fair for all to see.

Want to buy a raffle ticket but can't make the fair? Make a $2 or $5 donation through our website and click on "add special instructions to seller" - include "Trek Raffle, Your Name, Your Phone Number". We will email your raffle ticket number(s) and add you to the drawing. For information on the bike, see comparable model at: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/hybrid-bikes/comfort-recreation-bikes/verve/verve-1-disc-lowstep-gen-4/p/32736/
Albany Bicycle Coalition | 389 McCormack Rd | Albany, NY 12208 US

Discover your next great ride with Verve 1 Disc Low Step. See the bike and visit your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

09/03/2026

Local Bicycling News – [9/3/26 – 304] – Updates for Friends of Cycling, Walking, and Good Living in the Capital Region. CONTACT: [email protected]



NY DOT Holds First Public Meeting on Proposed Active Transportation Strategic Plan

On the evening of September 1st, I attended NY Dept. of Transportation's first of four public meetings on its long awaited Active Transportation Strategic Plan. The primary presenter was Debra Nelson of DOT's Office of Policy, Planning, and Performance. Several dozen community members were present, including many in our active transportation advocacy community. The next "local" opportunity is a virtual meeting scheduled for September 4th from noon to 1:30p - login is here.

Per the project website, the plan aims to "improve walking, bicycling, using micromobility, or using a wheelchair" throughout NY. No plan was offered at the presentation and no draft appears to be available for comment. The meeting mostly consisted of explaining the goals of the plan and the process by which it was being developed. The plan will come without any funding or announced projects. The plan would instead provide a framework to help prioritize future funding.

Four Visions were expressed:
Making active transportation safe and comfortable
Creating a network that is accessible and connected
Being "future focused"
Being "community responsive"

In addition, speakers emphasized the Safe Systems Approach to improving safety and the importance of improving and using data in decision making. One of the contractors for the project discussed work that was done to identify gaps and infrastructure needs of our existing bicycle transportation network and its "stress levels" for bicyclists. An "Active Transportation Assessment Tool" was developed that might be used for future projects.

Feedback from attendees was mostly limited to a series of canned questions that required attendees to rank canned options using the "menti" app to respond via cell phones. Some attendees were able to interject a few questions during the presentation. To their credit, the presenters did engage with attendees for informal discussions after the formal presentation.

Additional thoughts and comments can be sent to [email protected] - please send yours in!

Here a few of my thoughts and comments:

How come New Yorker's (outside of New York City), can't get GIS crash data on where and when crashes have occurred in the places they live and what police reports showed were crash severities and causes? DOT and police have long had access to this data. (thank you to James Rath of Capital Streets for raising this during the meeting).
Why, when communities try to lower speeds and crash violence, does NYSDOT persistently insist on higher speeds on their state roads?
Why does it take geologic periods of time to make simple infrastructure changes that save lives, like a crosswalk bumpout or a bike lane, when it takes next to no time to spend multi-millions to fix a washed out culvert on a highway?
Why are wide road lane widths, which are a major factor in driver speeding and the violence of crashes, determined by the widths of emergency vehicles - instead of the widths of emergency vehicles determined by the need for safer roads?
Why do we constantly hear that we need to educate road users to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety - but we allow schools to ignore NY Education Law 806 which requires pedestrian and bicycle safety instruction?
Will the emphasis on a "data-driven" approach ignore those roadways where there is no bike-ped crash data - because the roadway is so prohibitively dangerous that bicyclists and pedestrians know better than to go there - even if they might need or wish to?
Many sections of our New York State Bicycle Routes are downright scary to ride. This includes sections of the Empire State Trail that coincide with State Bike Route 9. There are high speeds and high car & truck traffic volumes along with negligible and poorly maintained shoulders (let alone bike lanes!). Are there any standards which our NYS Bicycle Routes must comply with? If routes are not up to standards for safe and comfortable bicycling, NY should not be presenting them to unwitting bike tourists as bicycle routes!
After all this time, is this the extent of the opportunity for public input for our Active Transportation Strategic Plan?

Please note - my CDTA bus was late, so I missed the first 10 minutes of the presentation. I'll attend the beginning of the virtual session on the 4th. I hope I missed some good news!
Ed Brennan, President - Albany Bicycle Coalition

Bike the Branches/Poetry in Motion Ride 2026

ABC's annual Bike the Branches ride is Saturday, September 12th. We will be gathering at 12:45am at the Pine Hills Branch, leaving at 1pm and returning about 3pm. There will be a short poetry reading at each branch. This will be a leisurely group ride of about 9 miles, with some hills. It is not a race & we don't leave people behind! The ride is free. All riders must wear a bike helmet. All riders must be age 12 or older, those under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Complete Details at: https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/upcoming-events/bike-the-branches-ride/. Reservations – not required, but we appreciate if you RSVP to: [email protected] to let us know you’re coming, and how many people are in your group. If you wish to read a short poem (preferably something bicycle or Albany related), let us know that as well!

Another Kids Learn to Ride Event

ABC is teaming up with NY Bicycling Coalition, the County Health Dept, Albany City Neighborhood Services and the South End Children's Cafe to teach more kids the joy of bicycling. The event will take place from 2 to 5 pm, September 13th in the lot behind the South End Children's Cafe, 33 Rensselaer St, Albany, NY.

The training is free for children from 5 to 10 years old. There is a limit to how many kids we can train. Please pre-register at: www.nybc.net/AlbanyLearnToRide. We will be providing free bikes and helmets for registered kids that need them.

We also need volunteers! If you have bike mechanic skills; or if you want to help with signing in kids; or if you can help fit helmets; or if you are good at "cat herding"; or if you are a League Certified Instructor - please e-mail [email protected]! It is incredibly joyful to see a kids learn to bike ride during this two hour program. We hope you will join us.

Erie Canal Museum's
Beers, Bikes, and Barges Ride

September 10, 6pm. Join the Historic Albany Foundation, Discover Albany, and the Erie Canal Museum for this 90 minute cycling tour through Albany looking at the city’s Erie Canal and brewing history. See sites like the location of the enormous John Taylor and Sons Brewery and Lock #1 on the Old Erie. The ride begins and ends at Common Roots Brewing Company, where you will be treated to a b**r as part of your ride. See details and purchase tickets at: https://www.simpletix.com/e/b**rs-bikes-barges-tickets-262431.

Trek Verve 1 Disc Lowstep Bike Raffle

Albany Bicycle Coalition is raffling off a Trek Verve 1 Disc Lowstep Hybrid Style Bike, 3x7 Speed, Size Large. Raffle tickets are $2 each, 3 for $5. Funds gathered will help support our efforts to improve bike safety - including our 2nd annual bike light giveaway at the the Upper Madison Street Fair. The bike was donated to ABC and only been test ridden. The winner will be drawn at the end of the Upper Madison Street Fair on September 27th. We will have the bike at the Fair for all to see.

Want to buy a raffle ticket but can't make the fair? Make a $2 or $5 donation through our website and click on "add special instructions to seller" - include "Trek Raffle, Your Name, Your Phone Number". We will email your raffle ticket number(s) and add you to the drawing. For information on the bike, see comparable model at: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/hybrid-bikes/comfort-recreation-bikes/verve/verve-1-disc-lowstep-gen-4/p/32736/
Albany Bicycle Coalition | 389 McCormack Rd | Albany, NY 12208

Discover your next great ride with Verve 1 Disc Low Step. See the bike and visit your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

08/24/2026

Local Bicycling News – [8/24/26 – 303] – Updates for Friends of Cycling, Walking, and Good Living in the Capital Region. CONTACT: [email protected]



Bike the Branches/Poetry in Motion Ride 2026

ABC's annual Bike the Branches ride is Saturday, September 12th. We will be gathering at 12:45am at the Pine Hills Branch, leaving at 1pm and returning about 3pm. There will be a short poetry reading at each branch. This will be a leisurely group ride of about 9 miles, with some hills. It is not a race & we don't leave people behind! The ride is free. All riders must wear a bike helmet. All riders must be age 12 or older, those under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Complete Details at: https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/upcoming-events/bike-the-branches-ride/. Reservations – not required, but we appreciate if you RSVP to: [email protected] to let us know you’re coming, and how many people are in your group. If you wish to read a short poem (preferably something bicycle or Albany related), let us know that as well!

Biking in the Age of Bikelash

More and more people are turning to bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters for transportation, recreation and health. At the same time we are seeing more campaigns and complaints against active transportation. You may recall President Trump's argument that congestion pricing wasn't needed in NYC. Instead, he claimed NYC needed to make more room for motor vehicles by eliminating bike lanes. Taking that cue, his Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, is now pushing to defund "DEI bike lanes" from federal highway spending. DOT website references to the use of bike lanes and speed cameras as effective safety measures have been eliminated.

Locally, we have seen Saratoga Springs eliminate bike lane plans for improvements to Union Avenue. Just a few years ago, there was a successful campaign to eliminate bike lanes and a road diet on Delaware Avenue in Bethlehem. New Jersey passed a law requiring licensing and registration for e-bikes, even low speed pedal assist bikes. There were a myriad of bills before the NYS legislature that may well have gotten to the Governor were it not for the shortened session due to the late budget. Legislation to contend with e-bike and e-scooter usage is being proposed and passed by many NY local governments. We continue to fight to improve an Albany County proposal.

The argument for improved bike infrastructure has been complicated by legitimate concerns of dangerous, illegal bike-like devices being misused on roads and poor safety practices of many other riders. NY Attorney General Letitia James recently followed California's example by issuing a consumer warning about fast, unsafe, illegal e-devices being sold to New Yorkers. This month NYC issued cease and desist letters to online sellers, including Walmart and Target, that warned of fines up $2000 per sale of illegal device.

As active transportation users, we need to stand up for our right to use our roads safely and insist that efforts to make e-bikes and e-scooters safer concentrate on enforcing existing laws and keeping illegal, dangerous devices off the streets and out of the hands of minors. We need to speak out to our legislators before inappropriate laws get passed that don't address actual safety issues. We also need to ride safely ourselves and encourage others to do the same. Here are a few basic reminders:

ride with traffic
you are more visible to drivers, especially at intersections where most crashes occur.
head on crashes are more likely to lead to death or serious injury
wear a helmet
don't buy into nonsense that drivers are more careful around bicyclists without helmets - about half of bike crashes don't involve motor vehicles
pick the safest route
avoid roads like Colonie's Central Avenue, try our bike map: https://capitalnybikemap.com
light up and wear bright apparel,
NY VTL requires a white light in front and red light in the rear, dusk to dawn
most crashes happen between dusk and dawn even though most people aren't riding at those times
obey the traffic laws, they are there to keep everyone safe
sidewalk riding is dangerous - if you must, do so at a close to walking speed
sidewalks are for pedestrians and slow speed kids learning to ride under supervision of adults
you are safer on most roads where drivers can see you
sidewalks are especially dangerous at intersections and in congested areas where there are many driveways and business entrances
riding against traffic on a sidewalk is asking to be hit - drivers turning right won't see you til you are on their bumper.
for more great safety tips see: https://nybc.net/safety

Agenda for ABC August Meeting
Wednesday 6:30 PM Aug 26, 2026
If you are receiving this e-mail, you are invited!

Join In Person: Pine Hills Library small meeting room, 1st floor S.E. corner; 517 Western Ave, Albany Map
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84950587792?pwd=bNRHTsUShkAbwDBMYISE1TMzq0ElWM.1
Meeting ID: 849 5058 7792
Passcode: 816886
Discussions
County Proposed E-Bike Law Status
2nd Kids Learn to Ride Scheduling/Need for Volunteers
Bike the Branches 2026 Planning - Poets and Poetry Readers Wanted!
Planning for our 5th World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic

Reports
Coffee Shop Ride Report

Announcements
NYS DOT Public Information Meeting on Proposed Active Transportation Strategic Plan - Seeking Community Feedback on Ways to Improve Access for Walkers, Cyclists and users of Wheelchairs and Micromobility Services September 1 - Albany Library, Large Auditorium (5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.) 161 Washington Avenue, Albany NY 12210

Other Business
ABC Sport-Tek T-Shirts Available! In sizes Small, Medium and Large $26
Treasurer’s Report
Future WEDNESDAY Meetings - 6:30pm, 9/30, 10/28
December Meeting TBA - will be Holiday Lights Ride / Trivia Night

Erie Canal Museum's
Beers, Bikes, and Barges Ride

September 10, 6pm. Join the Historic Albany Foundation, Discover Albany, and the Erie Canal Museum for this 90 minute cycling tour through Albany looking at the city’s Erie Canal and brewing history. See sites like the location of the enormous John Taylor and Sons Brewery and Lock #1 on the Old Erie. The ride begins and ends at Common Roots Brewing Company, where you will be treated to a b**r as part of your ride. See details and purchase tickets at: https://www.simpletix.com/e/b**rs-bikes-barges-tickets-262431.

Trek Verve 1 Disc Lowstep Bike Raffle

Albany Bicycle Coalition is raffling off a Trek Verve 1 Disc Lowstep Hybrid Style Bike, 3x7 Speed, Size Large. Raffle tickets are $2 each, 3 for $5. Funds gathered will help support our efforts to improve bike safety - including our 2nd annual bike light giveaway at the the Upper Madison Street Fair. The bike was donated to ABC and only been test ridden. The winner will be drawn at the end of the Upper Madison Street Fair on September 27th. We will have the bike at the Fair for all to see.

Want to buy a raffle ticket but can't make the fair? Make a $2 or $5 donation through our website and click on "add special instructions to seller" - include "Trek Raffle, Your Name, Your Phone Number". We will email your raffle ticket number(s) and add you to the drawing. For information on the bike, see comparable model at: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/hybrid-bikes/comfort-recreation-bikes/verve/verve-1-disc-lowstep-gen-4/p/32736/

Discover your next great ride with Verve 1 Disc Low Step. See the bike and visit your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

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