Author Archives: ABC

About ABC

Albany Bicycle Coalition (ABC) is a coalition of individuals in New York's Capital Region interested in promoting bicycling in any form.
by | December 2, 2025 · 5:06 pm

2025 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

On Friday, November 14th, local members of the NYS Safe Streets Coalition, Albany Bicycle Coalition, Walkable Albany, Capital Streets, Families for Safe Streets, New York Bicycling Coalition, elected leaders, officials and others gathered in recognition of the victims of traffic violence in Albany County and the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.  The event was held in Academy Park across from Albany City Hall.

Speakers included:

  • Ed Brennan, President Albany Bicycle Coalition
  • Sandy Misiewicz, Executive Director Capital Region Transportation Council
  • David Galin, Chief of Staff for Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan 
  • Patty Sawyer, mother of Roger Sawyer, killed by a speeding driver on Washington Ave Ext
  • NYS Senator, Pat Fahy
  • Jake Eisland, Chief of Staff for NYS Assemblymember Gabriella Romero
  • James Rath, Capital Streets 
  • Jackie Gonzales, Capital Streets and Walkable Albany 
  • Bill Ferris, AARP NY 
  • Albany Mayor-Elect Dorcey Applyrs
  • Erica Schneider, of Parks and Trails New York

Together we read the names of pedestrians and cyclists who have died in traffic collisions in Albany County since 2020. We are asking our City, Village and Town governments to commit to Vision Zero, the elimination of needless deaths and serious injuries caused by traffic crashes. All people in Albany County have a right to safe transportation.  

Traffic violence in Albany County is preventable but has gotten consistently worse.

  • In 2022 Albany County saw the most traffic crash fatalities and serious injuries since data recording and presentation began in 2014 by the Institute for Traffic Safety and Management. This was surpassed in 2023 and surpassed again in 2024.  See https://itmsmr.org
  • Falling fatalities and serious injuries in the City of Albany and other places that have instituted policies to reduce speeds and make roads safer show that local governments can reduce these tragedies.
  • The deaths in the last year of Gregory Browne, Charles Allendorph, John Bonds, Felipa Martinez-Garcia, Migdalia Aulet, and too many others were not accidents and were preventable.

Traffic violence is a preventable public health crisis. There are proven strategies, including safer speeds and safer road design that save lives and prevent serious injuries. On World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, communities all over the globe organized events to demand change. Helsinki, with the same sorts of arterials and highways that Albany County has and over twice the population, just celebrated a year without a traffic fatality. They achieved this because they made a commitment to Vision Zero and took the actions necessary to save the lives and limbs of their citizens. The Cities, Towns and Villages of Albany County need to make that commitment to the people that live here.

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by | October 13, 2025 · 12:23 pm

Two Great New Bicycling Resources for Albany

Albany Social Cycling and Albany Bike Valet are two incredible additions to Albany. OK, Albany Social Cycling has been around a couple years, but more and more people are just discovering it. ASC started with a small group of riders connected with Matt McGowan and his Freewheel Bike Shop meeting up Thursday evenings in Washington Park. These free Thursday rides have become the place to be for people of all ages and riding abilities, with all kinds of bikes.

Albany Social Cycling meets by the Washington Park Playhouse at 6:30 pm. For the remainder of the season bring well charged bike lights. Its casual. You don’t need to deck out in spandex.The ride routes are well planned. They are leisurely and social. Nobody is racing. Newcomers are made to feel welcome. Many rides visit local businesses, for hot dogs, ice cream and the like.

Albany Bike Valet saw its debut at the Upper Madison Street Fair. It is the brainchild of Albanian Brook Caro. Members of Albany Bicycle Coalition, Walkable Albany and Capital Streets chipped in time to help with this great new free service. The service offers a secure, monitored parking for cyclists at Albany events. Like a coat check service for bikes. Forget about finding a parking space for your car. Enjoy biking to an event and leave your bike with Brook and friends. You won’t even need bike locks and cables.

The Bike Valet’s first gig exceeded expectations, with 47 bikes safely parked. Anne Savage of New York Bicycling Coalition and the folks organizing the Upper Madison Street Fair were a big help making the Bike Valet debut so successful. We heard many folks without bikes say what a great idea it was. Many of them will be looking for the bike valet service when they leave their cars home for the next event.

On October 2nd I joined about 60 other riders on a well planned Park-to-Park Social Cycling  route around the City. I was especially glad to see several new Albanians found and joined the ride. A recent arrival from Oklahoma remarked how much she is “enjoying Albany”. City leaders take note of those magic words! If you want to bring and keep people in Albany, support services and activities like the Bike Valet and Albany Social Cycling.

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by | July 19, 2010 · 9:17 am

4th annual Daily Grind to Daily Grind ride July 17 2010

–       Ride Time – 2:19

–       Avg – 9.4

–       Miles – 21.8

–       Max Speed – 19.3

Eight riders poured into the Albany Daily Grind Café around 10am and then we were off down Washington, State, and Pine to the pedestrian bridge.  Regrettably, Toni suffered a bent rim and, despite Chris’s expert technical prowess, she and Ken had to abandon the ride.  The remaining six zipped north on the newly-repaved and widened (thanks Albany!) Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail to Watervliet for a photo op.  Along the way, we all noted Chris’s 360-degree power strokes using his new clip-less pedals and, of course, drooled over May Lou’s sparkling new Serotta (made by her son, Patrick).

After crossing the Green Island Bridge, we ran into Troy’s “Pig Out” and the world-renowned Troy Famers’ Market – temporarily arrayed along River St.   Louis and Jesse left the ride to join up with friends at the Pig Out (whatever that is) and the remaining four enjoyed a welcome break at the Daily Grind.

After a stop at the Farmers’ Market for a container of milk (?) and a chat with the Troy Bike Rescue folk, we headed back to Albany wrapping up with a “invigorating” climb up the bike lanes on Clinton Ave.

Kudos – We are grateful to Lee and Rick of the Daily Grind Café for sponsoring our ride with a complementary beverage at both shops and to the gracious hostesses at our lunch stop in Troy.  We also noted that the Daily Grind Café arranged with the City for installation of the only one of two bicycle racks on Lark St – years before the city wide installations began last month.

Written by Mary Lou Nolan-Gillham

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