LINCOLN -- The newly restored bridge running over the Pratt Dam
opened on a cloudless summer morning in June. On any given day since
then, this latest section of the Blackstone Valley Bike Way has seen
cyclists zooming through, couples strolling by, and dogs eagerly pulling
their owners along at what seems to be twice the previously agreed-upon
pace.
Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
In Rhode Island to visit family, Marine Lt. Col. Corey Bonnell, of Virginia, goes for a run on the Blackstone Valleyt Bike Way in Lincoln with his daughter Alexander riding along.
The sweeping arches of this bridge, marking the division between
Cumberland and Lincoln at its middle, highlight the newest stretch of an
ambitious plan to link Providence and Worcester with bike trails.
Although most of the project is still in the planning phase, those who
have traveled the verdant riverside corridor don't seem to care. For
them, the bike path is as complete as it needs to be.
"This is awesome," Corey Bonnell, a Marine Corps lieutenant colonel from
Stafford, Va., said with a burst of enthusiasm during a late-morning run.
Bonnell, accompanied by his young daughter Alexandra on her bike, said
that every time he and his family come to Rhode Island on vacation, to
visit relatives, he makes it a point to take a trot along the narrow,
fenced roadway.
"It's really a great place to come out and enjoy the local scenery while
getting some exercise in," he said. "There's just the right amount of
shade when it's hot, and you don't have to worry about traffic. It's
just great."
HUGGING THE Blackstone River for seven miles, from John Street in
Cumberland to the Manville Road bridge in Lincoln, the bike path is one
of the most popular recreation sites in northern Rhode Island.
At all times of the day, cyclists can be found traversing the
12-foot-wide asphalt path.
The bike path, however, is not just for cyclists. Runners, walkers and
in-line skaters abound, along with bird watchers and, down along the
river, anglers. During the winter, the path is popular with snowshoers
and cross-country skiers.
Marcia Cunningham, of Cumberland, said she tries to get out for a bike
ride on the path at least twice a week. The Blackstone Valley Bike Way
might be the best place in the state to ride, she said.
"It's easy riding because there aren't really any hills," she said.
"It's not crowded, so you don't find yourself running into people, but
there are enough people around, too. You don't feel alone."
Corey Duhamel, another cyclist from Cumberland, said he likes to get out
for a ride on the path as often as he can.
"My favorite thing about riding out here is I always see a different
kind of wildlife," he said. "I've seen deer, snapping turtles and all
kinds of birds."
Duhamel said he is always impressed with how clean the path is. He hopes
that, one day, it will be connected to the East Bay Bicycle Path, which
runs from India Point Park, Providence, to Bristol.
Scenery changes quickly along the path when one is riding a bike. The
swooping canopy of Lincoln's forests, alongside the still waters of
what's left of the Blackstone Canal, is replaced in a flash by the marsh
and reeds on the Cumberland side of the river.
Along this segment, getting to the path is easy, as there are a
half-dozen access points.
You can get onto the path from several points just west of Mendon Road
(Route 122), at Railroad Street in the Manville section of Lincoln; at
Route 116 in Lincoln, just before the Cumberland border; and on Mendon
Road (Route 122) near Ann and Hope Way, in Cumberland. Another good
access point is off Route 123, in the Lonsdale section of Lincoln.
LATER THIS YEAR, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council plans to open the
Blackstone Valley Gateway Center, in Lincoln, off Route 295 north
between exits 9 and 10. Described as the Blackstone Valley's new front
door by Robert Billington, the tourism council president, the new
visitors' center will provide ample parking, restrooms, a Dunkin' Donuts
and a trail leading directly to the bike path.
Robert Sutton, chief of planning and development for the Rhode Island
Department of Environmental Management, noted that the visitors' center
is only one element in the campaign to extend a bike path to Pawtucket
-- from the Massachusetts border, at Woonsocket -- in the next 18 months
to two years.
Work on the Massachusetts section of the bike path -- projected to run
22 miles from Worcester to Woonsocket -- is progressing much more slowly.
The first section, running 4 1/2 miles from Brosnihan Square in
Worcester to Route 122 in Millbury, opened June 20. Getting the path
built is proceeding more slowly in Massachusetts because of
environmental and right-of-way constraints, according to Eric Able, a
spokesman for the Massachusetts Highway Department.
ANTICIPATING the growth of the Blackstone Valley Bike Path over the next
few years, Gary and Chris Rice, of Sutton, Mass. -- with the help of the
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council -- decided to start Bike Blackstone,
which offers a series of bike tours in Massachusetts and Rhode Island,
packaged with bed-and-breakfast stays, for tourists looking to see the
historic river valley by bicycle.
The Rices said they had traveled extensively on bike tours in France,
Scotland, Switzerland and Holland, and thought that the Blackstone
Valley perfectly mirrored the experience they had in Europe. "There is
something to the way that New England, and specifically, the Blackstone
Valley, is laid out that makes it perfect for cycling," Gary Rice said.
"When you see things at 10 mph, it allows you to see so much more than
walking, but at the same time, to really get a feel for it, which you
can't do while driving."
Bike Blackstone tours range from $235 to $650, depending on the length
of the tour and whether you need to rent a bicycle. Lodging and some
meals are included in the packages, which Rice said can be customized to
fit the interests and needs of customers. Though only a few tour
packages have been sold since they became available this spring, Rice
said he thinks that, as the bike path grows, the tours will become
increasingly popular.
MEANWHILE, back in Lincoln, Nicole and Lindsay LaRose, 20-year-old twins
from Cumberland, enjoy walking the path. They park their car in the Stop
& Shop plaza on Mendon Road, in Cumberland.
The women, walking shoulder to shoulder in the noon sun, said they try
to walk between one and two miles on each daily outing.
They like to admire all the green around them, they said.
"I like it because it's just so pretty," said Nicole LaRose. "I didn't
think Valley Falls had anything this nice."
For more information about the Blackstone Valley Bike Path, and a map,
go to
blackstonevalleybikeway.com
For more information about Bike Blackstone, the private bicycle tours,
call (800) 454-2882.
Keep up with the Summer on the Blackstone series at:
http://projo.com/blackstonesummer
Tips for the bike path
The Cumberland Police offer these tips to make your visit to the
Blackstone Valley Bike Path enjoyable and fun.
Tell someone where you are going and when you will return, or take a
friend along.
Carry a cell phone.
Avoid poorly lit areas. Walk in areas where you see other people.
Dress to be seen. Wear comfortable bright colored clothing.
At night, wear reflective materials specially designed to improve your
visibility to others.
Look out for children.
Be conscious of and courteous to pedestrians. Look out for them,
because they may not see you.
Joggers should yield to slower walkers, and should give verbal warning
when approaching another walker or jogger from behind before passing.
Cycle in single file, if riding in a group.
The rules of the road apply on the bike path, too.
Bikers and skaters should wear helmets.
Bikers should not wear headphones. They impair your ability to hear
other people or vehicles.
Bring water.
Be aware that there are few restrooms available along the bike path.
Never park your car on or near railroad tracks.
Events along the Blackstone
Highlights of events this week along the Blackstone:
TODAY 1 to 4 p.m. Blackstone Valley Explorer Wilderness
Tour. TOMORROW 6:30 p.m. Arts in the Park Children's
Performance Series. THURSDAY Noon to 12:50 p.m.
Thursday Bag Lunch Riverboat Tour. Cruise on the Blackstone Valley
Explorer, leaving from Central Falls Landing, Broad Street and Madeira
Avenue, Central Falls. Minimum 15 passengers. Reservations required;
call (401) 724-2200. All seats $7.
5 to 7 p.m. Ice Cream Party at Spring Lake Penny Arcade,
Burrillville. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Blackstone Valley
Tourism Council and the 75th anniversary of the Penny Arcade at Spring
Lake. Lemonade and make your own sundaes. Hosted by John Bateman,
Anabell's Ice Cream and the Burrillville Recreation Department. Cost:
$10. Order tickets online at
www.tourblackstone.com or call the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
at (401) 724-2200.
5:30 to 8 p.m. Soirée en Plein Air. FRIDAY 11 a.m.
Children's Summer Entertainment Series. The Kaleidoscope Theatre Company
presents Cinderella, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Timeline Trekkers.
8:30 p.m. Friday Night at the Movies. A recent family-oriented
film is screened at Cold Spring Park, Harris Avenue, Woonsocket. The
movie is preceded by karaoke , at 7 p.m. Woonsocket Parks &
Recreation, (401) 762-6400.
SATURDAY 7 p.m. Free Summer Movie Series. Raiders of the
Lost Ark, SUNDAY 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. British Tea Tour.
1 to 3 p.m. Free Sunday Concert Series. Jenks Park, Broad Street,
Central Falls. (401) 727-7425.
1 to 4 p.m. Blackstone Valley Explorer Wilderness Tour. Cruise
the river aboard a 49-passenger tour boat. Public tours leaving from
Central Falls Landing, Broad Street at Madeira Avenue, Central Falls, at
1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. $7; $6 for seniors and children. Call (401) 724-2200.
2 to 3 p.m. "American Girl" Doll English Tea Party.
Afternoon tea in a country setting, at the Willard House and Clock
Museum, 11 Willard St., North Grafton, Mass. Dress your doll in her
Sunday best. (Dolls admitted free.) Children's admission: $5 for
members; $6 for nonmembers. Adult companions: $6 for members; $7 for
nonmembers. Registration required; call Willard House, (508) 839-3500.
3:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday Concerts on the Canal. Bring a lawn
chair or blanket; picnic area with grills available. River Bend Farm
Visitor Center, Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park, 287 Oak
St., Uxbridge, Mass. (508) 278-7604.
5 to 6 p.m. Sunday Concerts on the Common. Slatersville
Common, Route 102, North Smithfield. (401) 767-2200.
5 p.m. Pascoag Summer Concert Series. The Blackstone
Valley-based Celtic and folk group Pendragon performs at Brigton Park, ,
Pascoag, Burrillville. (401) 568-6226
6 p.m. Sunday Evening Concert Series. Featuring local bands
and musicians performing oldies, polkas, popular music, country, swing
and Big Band-era tunes. World War II Park, Social Street, Woonsocket.
Woonsocket Parks & Recreation, (401) 762-6400.
6:30 p.m. Pawtucket Riverfront Concert Series. Featuring local
country musicians Dotty Zack and the Outlaws. At the Veterans Memorial
Amphitheater, Roosevelt Avenue and Exchange Street, Pawtucket. Pawtucket
Parks & Recreation, (401) 728-0500.
SOURCES: Blackstone Valley Tourism Council's Web site
(www.tourblackstone.com), and Massachusetts Department of Conservation
and Recreation, Division of State Parks and Recreation.
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