Bicycle shops are the major link between bicycling and local economies. The shop owners sell the bikes, keep them in repair, promote the sport and the transportation, and answer inquiries on where to ride, where to eat, and where to stay. The vast majority of bicycle shop owners are avid bicyclists, when they have time to ride. So they often know which roads are best, which are worst, and where improvements can be made. Bicycle shop owners should always be included in any bicycle planning efforts.
A major bicycle planning goal is to maximize the economic impact of bicycling in local communities. The study team has actively pursued this goal by focusing on bicycle shops. The Appendix includes a listing of 57 bicycle shops within the Adirondack North Country Region. There are undoubtedly others. In addition, the GIS bicycle database now contains the location of each of the 57 shops, also presented in the Appendix.
In tourism planning efforts there is often a dilemma of not having enough services to support the expected users, but not having enough current use to support the services. Fortunately, bicycle shops are a growing business within the region. At least 5 new bicycle shops opened within the past two years, reflecting a 5% growth per year. This is an encouraging sign, and will significantly enhance promotional efforts. With bicycle services more visible in the area, bicyclists are more likely to visit the area, more likely to return, and will give more favorable reports to their friends and relatives.
Bicycle clubs form much of the grass-roots support for bicycle facilities and promotions. They should be included in any process or discussion related to bicycle planning for the region. There are a number of bicycle clubs in the region currently, and others will likely form as participation in bicycling continues to increase. In addition, there are a number of bicycle clubs in close vicinity that tend to take many rides in the region, located in Albany, Syracuse, Montreal, and other cities. These clubs also should be contacted for ideas and assistance. A preliminary listing of bicycle clubs within the region, the Northeast, and New England are listed in the Appendix.
The advantage of clubs is that they mobilize a group of individuals for a common cause. In that sense, two or more clubs can mobilize even more people. Where there seems to be opportunity in the North Country is in cooperative efforts between bicycle clubs and snowmobile clubs. Mountain bike groups especially could team up with snowmobilers to groom trails that will be used by both groups, at different times of the year. The activity's publicity and good will would also equally serve both groups.
Local highway departments in essence, are the custodians of the bicycle infrastructure. In terms of bicycle touring, if the quality of the roads are poor, you are not going to get very far very fast. The first thing a bicyclist sees when he enters the region is the road shoulder. If they are cracked, covered with sand and glass, or non-existent, the bicyclist is discouraged from coming back or recommending the route to others.
Tourism officials, bicycle clubs, and others need to work with local highway departments to prioritize the roads that are the main bicycle routes through the jurisdiction. Once established, those routes should be given preference for road work, shoulder work, and shoulder sweeping. Those roads should be the first roads swept in the spring, and swept as often as possible throughout the season.
One purpose of this project is to enhance the route selection process by giving it a regional perspective. All interested parties should use the regional map and county maps produced for this project to finalize the preferred bicycle routes through their counties. The regional map, and this document, can be used to establish connections between counties, with the hope that most of the routes will be continuous across county, state, and international boundaries. Some counties had already selected bicycle routes by the time the regional maps went to press, others were in process, and others had not yet begun. The regional bicycle map shows preliminary bicycle route selections based on available information. The map is intended as a tool for discussion purposes so that a truly regional bicycle route system can be established. All counties should include local highway departments in the process.
This section stresses local highway departments because the State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has already made a commitment to bicycling. ISTEA mandates that NYSDOT establish a pedestrian and bicycle program manager's position, develop a statewide bicycle plan, etc. However, the commitment of local highway departments to bicycling varies widely from department to department. Operating under tight funds, bicycling and pedestrian needs do not generally receive high priority.
Most highway departments will become an active partner in bicycle planning if given the opportunity, and educated on the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians. For example, the Lewis County highway department is working with the tourism committee to develop a bicycle map for the county by taking the map from town to town to confirm road conditions and shoulder widths. That type of cooperative effort should occur throughout the region. One of the main recommendations of this planning effort, a regional bicycle advisory committee, is intended to institutionalize communication and cooperation between local highway departments and bicycle advocates.
The sixth ingredient may not be as important in other areas of the country as it is in the Adirondack North Country Region. The largest state park in the lower 48 states -- The Adirondack Park -- is within the region, as is the largest area of wilderness east of the Mississippi River. The Adirondack Park is 6,000,000 acres, about one-half of which is state owned. As a result, there is a considerable land management presence by the state. For example, the two largest ski resorts in the region: Whiteface and Gore, are state owned. In addition there is a planning and zoning organization, the Adirondack Park Agency (APA), that oversees development on private lands within the Adirondack Park boundary. Outside the park, there are numerous state recreation areas, historic sites, and natural attractions.
In order for bicycling to reach its potential in the region, the state must become a partner in planning and promoting bicycle recreation. The recent establishment and promotion (1994) of Mount Van Hoevenberg as a mountain biking center is an excellent example of what a public/private partnership can accomplish. Reports from Vermont indicate that the ski slopes there now experience use by mountain bike patrons during the summer season.
Collaborative Tourism Planning
While additional public/private partnerships are necessary, the region should begin now to move beyond partnerships into the realm of collaborative tourism planning. The definition of collaboration is as follows: "the pooling of appreciations and/or tangibles resources, (e.g., information, money, labor, etc.) by two or more stakeholders to solve a set of problems which neither can solve individually" (Gray 1985:912). Collaboration is a joint decision making process where power, responsibility and outcomes are shared by those with an interest or stake in the issue at hand.
The process involves the following steps which have been adapted from Gray (1989):
1. Problem setting: In the first phase the issue(s) are defined, participants are identified, and resources committed.
2. Direction Setting: Next, an agenda is set, goals established, subgroups organized, and joint information search takes place.
3. Implementation: In this phase, structuring takes place, roles assigned, formal agreements reached, outcomes are outlined, and external support sought out if needed.
4. Evaluation: Finally the outcomes are assessed, progress measured and if needed modifications are suggested.
A collaborative approach to tourism planning has been documented in many parts of the country, pooling many different types of stakeholders. Tourism development and revitalization strategies that have been successful involve community leaders, citizens, government officials, and outside organizations. Some examples include the following: Dows, Iowa (Fleming 1988), Central City, Colorado (Stokowski 1992), and Linn County, Oregon (The Wilderness Oregon 1992).
The impetus for collaborative planning in the previous examples has centered on rural revitalization and economic development. The community development efforts have been prompted by a desire for enhanced quality of life and economic growth. Other examples involve economic decline due to losses in diminishing industries, such as timber harvests in the Pacific Northwest (Burr & Walsh, 1993).
The predominately rural, and natural resource-based economies of the Adirondack North Country Region would benefit from similar collaborative efforts. In terms of tourism planning, the benefits would accrue in the form of agencies, businesses, and regional planning organizations all gaining an understanding and appreciation of complementary interests. In terms of tourism promotion, the result would be a unified promotional message about the region that accomplishes the main goals of all major parties, as opposed to a mixed message that leads to confusion and disappointment on the part of the visitor.
For example, a recently enforced ban on mountain biking on certain state lands has resulted in press that gives the impression that mountain biking is banned on all lands in the region. On the other hand, the "wise use" and "respect private land" messages of state land management agencies are not being conveyed in private business promotion and advertising. Consistency of the message is a key feature of collaborative planning.
In summary, the Adirondack North Country Region is a popular tourism destination, with estimates ranging as high as 10 million visitors to the Adirondack Park area alone. There are many appealing features that entice tourists to the region, including the natural environment, historical and cultural attractions, and well known lodging and eating establishments. Results from research carried out for this project demonstrate that the region has the potential for becoming a premier bicycling destination. There is a vital interest in the Adirondack North Country Region as a bicycling destination both from the lodging industry and active bicyclists. Concluding chapters in this report provide recommendations for maximizing the economic benefit of bicycling to the North Country.
"They'll have to build a road to get them out," he said.
"I wish to Christ we had bicycles," Bonello said.
"Do they ride bicycles in America?" Aymo said.
"They used to."
"Here it is a great thing," Aymo said. "A bicycle is a splendid thing."
I wish to Christ we had bicycles," Bonello said. "I'm no walker."
an exchange on the Italian Front during World War I (Hemingway 1929:207)