Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Megan DiPrete,
Executive Director
508-234-4242
mdiprete@BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org
BHC Gears Up to Celebrate National Bike Month in May
Festivities Include Bike Rack and Repair Station Installations and Launch of Bikeway Patrol Rides
Whitinsville, MA (May 12, 2017) – Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc. (BHC) is celebrating National Bike Month in May with a series of bike rack and repair station installations and the launch of its Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol, which offers group rides with the public as well as information and assistance along the Bikeway.
Beginning this month, a total of 58 bicycle racks will be installed in the Massachusetts communities of Auburn, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Leicester, Millville, Upton and Uxbridge. In addition, Fix It bicycle repair stations will be installed in Auburn, Grafton and Leicester. These racks and repair stations were made available through a state grant. Douglas is the first community to report having them installed in downtown areas, near the Library, near the town offices and at local recreation fields.
A special cycling repair station and exhibit in Worcester will be unveiled at a public event on Tuesday, May 30 at 11:00 a.m. along the Blackstone River Bikeway in Worcester in the parking lot across from 1265 Millbury Street. This location is near the future site of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Visitor Center @ Worcester (scheduled to open late summer, 2018).
According to Devon Kurtz, Director of Audience Engagement at BHC, the cycling repair station provides basic tools, a tire pump and advice on prepping your bike for a safe ride. This special exhibit and repair station is supported in part by the Greater Worcester Community Foundation and the National Park Service.
“The colorful exhibit is created from 2-inch COR-TEN steel and uses evocative images to explore the history of biking in the Worcester area since the late 1800s,” Kurtz noted. “The coolest feature is a life-size silhouette of a cyclist on a high wheel bike who may spring to life during the unveiling!”
Meanwhile, BHC’s Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol kicked off its riding season earlier this month riding the new Blackstone River Greenway, a 3.7 mile paved trail from Blackstone to S. Uxbridge, MA. The volunteer group will host weekly public rides on Wednesday evenings on bike trails throughout the National Heritage Corridor, departing at 6:30 p.m. from each location. Upcoming rides include May 17 at the Blackstone River Bikeway, riding from Woonsocket, RI, to Manville (Lincoln), RI; May 24 at the Burrillville Bike Path in Burrillville, RI, and May 31 at the Blackstone River Bikeway, riding from Millbury, MA, to Worcester, MA. In June, the Wednesday rides are scheduled for June 7 at the Blackstone River Bikeway, riding from Lonsdale (Lincoln), RI, to Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI; June 14 riding from Slater Mill to Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI. On June 21, the group ride will be along the Ten Mile River Greenway from Pawtucket, RI, to East Providence, RI, and on June 28 the ride will be along the Blackstone River Greenway from S. Uxbridge, MA, to Blackstone, MA. All rides are round-trip and helmets are required. For specific details and future dates, visit BHC’s website at BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org or contact Suzanne Buchanan, BHC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteer@BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.
About Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc.:
An energetic nonprofit, the Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc. partners with organizations, local communities, businesses and residents to ensure the long term vitality of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. Learn more at BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.
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