Guided bicycle tour will pedal course through the Blackstone Valley
WHITINSVILLE – The Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol, a volunteer activity of Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc.’s (BHC) Volunteers-in-Parks Program, is leading “Rides of Discovery” along the entire Blackstone River Bikeway this summer. Group rides will start in Worcester on July 12 and finish In Providence on August 23. Additional rides (some repeating) will continue in National Heritage Corridor communities through September 30.
The volunteer group completed nine rides earlier this spring, introducing new members and the public to highlights along the Bikeway and the group is gearing up to keep rolling through the summer. All rides will be held weather-permitting on Wednesdays and are roundtrip, beginning promptly at 6:30 p.m. The first ride will meet in Worcester at 25 Tobias Way (along the Bikeway between Walmart and Digital Federal Credit Union) on July 12 and will take cyclists along the Blackstone River Bikeway to Millbury. This trip will include a stop at the new bicycle repair station and interpretive exhibit on Millbury Street in Worcester as well as a visit to Christopher’s Homemade Ice Cream in Millbury before returning. On July 19, riders will explore the new 3.7 mile paved section of the Blackstone River Greenway and will meet in Uxbridge for the ride to Blackstone and back. On July 26, the ride will depart from the Rivers Edge Recreation Complex in Woonsocket and travel along the Bikeway to the Manville Dam. The following week, on August 2, the discovery of the Blackstone River Bikeway will continue from Manville to the Ashton Dam, located in the Blackstone River State Park in Lincoln. On August 9, the group will meet at the Blackstone River State Park Visitor Center, I-295 Northbound, riding to Lonsdale and back. A ride to Slater Mill in Pawtucket is planned for August 16, departing from the Front Street parking lot in Lonsdale. This ride will begin on the off-road path and then follow the on-road route to Slater Mill. On August 23, riders will continue from Slater Mill to the end of Blackstone Boulevard in Providence and will include an on-road section of the Bikeway. This ride will conclude the 49-mile round trip summer tour of the Blackstone River Bikeway from Worcester to Providence.
The public is invited to explore even more sections of the National Heritage Corridor via bicycle with the Bikeway Patrol on other scheduled rides including a “Discover the SNETT (Southern New England Trunkline Trail)” led by Volunteers-in-Parks member David Barber on August 30, departing at 6:30 p.m.. In September, BHC will launch its 3rd annual GO! program with over 100 different events and experiences, including six bike rides. On September 6, the Bikeway Patrol will ride from Millbury to Worcester (departing at 5:30 p.m.), and will be led by BHC’s Director of Audience Engagement, Devon Kurtz. On September 13, BHC’s Volunteer Coordinator Suzanne Buchanan will lead a ride along the Ten Mile River Greenway from East Providence to Pawtucket and back, departing at 6:00 p.m. Explore the Blackstone River Greenway on September 20 and ride from Blackstone to Uxbridge along the new 3.7 mile paved trail that crosses the Blackstone River and Canal and passes the historic Millville Lock. This ride departs at 5:30 p.m. from Blackstone. On September 27, the Bikeway Patrol the will lead a ride from the Blackstone River State Park Visitor Center, I-295 Northbound in Lincoln, RI, to Pratt Dam and back, departing at 5:30 p.m. Two morning rides are being offered as well. On September 21, ride from Manville to the Capt. Wilbur Kelly House and Transportation Museum and enjoy a free tour when you get there. The ride departs at 10:00 a.m. and returns to Manville at noon. The bike tours conclude on Saturday, September 30, which is National Bike Your Park Day and also National Public Lands Day, with a ride from the Capt. Wilbur Kelly House and Transportation Museum to Valley Falls. The ride will be led by a National Park Service Ranger and a member of BHC’s Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol, and will depart at 10:00 a.m. and return at noon.
Helmets are required for all rides. For full details on each ride, visit BHC’s events calendar at BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org. For more info on BHC’s Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol, contact Suzanne Buchanan at volunteer@BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org or call (508) 234-4242.