SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Saratoga Springs cyclists and history buffs gathered on Union Avenue to celebrate the installation of a new historical marker commemorating the 1898 Union Avenue bike path.
According to a press release, the marker, funded by a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to Saratoga nonprofit Bikeatoga, is located in front of the Empire State College building at 2 Union Ave. About 35 residents attended the event, including Saratoga Springs Deputy Mayor JoAnne Kiernan and Deputy Commissioner Heather Crocker.
According to Bikeatoga Advocacy Chair Ed Lindner, “the 1890s bicycle boom took Saratoga Springs by storm. The bicycle was immediately popular with summer visitors.”
An 1895 newspaper account declared that it was “Bicycle Summer” in the city, reporting that each morning, 50 to 100 riders headed out to Saratoga Lake, where hotels and roadhouses provided bicycle storage rooms and a hearty meal.
“Those riders passed right down Union Avenue,” Lindner said in the release.
In just a few years, Saratoga residents, led by the Good Roads Association and funded in part by the Woman’s Association of Greater Saratoga, built a network of bicycle paths around the city that was the envy of neighboring communities.
A 1900 Visitor’s Guide reports that Saratogians, “recognizing the great popularity of cycling, and the demands of so many visitors to Saratoga for proper facilities,” built a series of “delightful paths” “set aside for the exclusive use of bicyclers.”
Bicycle paths ran to Albany, Glens Falls, Lake George and other neighboring communities. One popular path ran along the south side of Union Avenue to Yaddo, Saratoga Lake and the White Sulphur Springs. The historical marker was installed on Union Avenue near the location of the original bike path.
Bikeatoga considers the Union Avenue historical marker both a reminder of our past and a blueprint for our future.
“Bicycles and bike paths were very much part of the history and culture of Saratoga’s golden age.” Lindner said in the release. “We can honor that history by building the bike lanes envisioned in our present-day Complete Streets plan, here on Union Avenue and throughout the city.”
The organization noted that in 1899, after the completion of the city’s bike paths, the Troy Daily Times reported that “as in many other things, Saratoga excels in bicycle paths.” “Bikeatoga looks forward to the day when local media can truthfully report that, once again, Saratoga excels in bicycle paths,” Lindner said.
“With this historical marker, you recognize an important part of your local history in Saratoga Springs,” Bill Pomeroy, Founder and Trustee of the Pomeroy Foundation, said in the release. “We extend our appreciation to Bikeatoga, Saratoga Springs and the Public Works department, the area’s cycling community, and all of those who helped make this marker a reality.
“We know it will help ensure your community’s history will be remembered for generations to come.”
