On this past gorgeous sunny Sunday, the Eastchester Environmental Committee kicked off its First Annual Bike Week Sept. 20 - 27 with a bike ride on the Bronx River Parkway in conjunction with Westchester County’s Bicycle Sundays, which is a part of “Be Fit Westchester”. The Eastchester Environmental Committee was on the parkway and handed out free toddler bike helmets, ice cold water, bike maps and safety literature and sponsored the bike mechanic of Danny’s Cycles of Scarsdale.

A few thousand bikers are estimated to have come out to enjoy the wonderful weekend weather.  Several students from Eastchester Middle School were present to help fill biker’s water bottles and to hand out bike maps. Eastchester Town Councilwoman Christine Doody Doherty was on hand to discuss bicycling and pedestrian advocacy in Eastchester and the steps the Town Board and the Environmental Committee has taken to help promote biking in the area. Bill O’Connell was there to discuss Safe Routes to School, a program to assist school districts and students in healthy alternatives to driving to school. Steve Hahn from Danny’s Cycles greeted bikers and he and his chief mechanic assisted anyone that needed a tune-up or help in fixing their damaged bicycles. Danny’s Cycles has been assisting cyclists on the Bronx River Parkway’s Bicycle Sundays for over eight years.  

Town Councilwoman Doherty commented, “The Eastchester Environmental Committee’s involvement with the Bicycle Sundays program is just another example of how much good work this group of dedicated and concerned citizens is doing to make Eastchester a leader in promoting best practices for sustainability. The Committee is also working on Westchester County’s Action Plan on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, and how it can be applied to our communities and have implemented many of the ideas that have been generated from the discussions of the plan.” She added, “This committee is actively networking with other municipalities, government agencies and organizations throughout the state in an effort to make Eastchester a model for others when promoting best practices. The environmental committee is committed to the idea that taking care of the environment for ourselves and for future generations is a responsibility of us all.”

Peter McCartt, Chair of the Eastchester Environmental Committee added, “This is just the beginning of several initiatives the Town of Eastchester has undertaken to promote biking.  For instance we need more bike racks around town financed by businesses and money raised by this committee; racks at the train stations, at the shopping centers and at the town facilities is a quick way to help the citizens of Eastchester bike.  We all need to use our bikes for short trips and errands, such as to the post office, library or Town Hall or a trip to pick up milk, or for a coffee and newspaper. We all know that traffic congestion is a major issue here; biking around town can help alleviate that as well as help the environment and your health, and lessen those darn costly trips to the gas station.”

On Sunday, Oct. 18 the Eastchester Environmental Committee is working with local radio station 107.1 The Peak, the Bronxville River Parkway Reservation Conservancy and the County of Westchester to sponsor a Clean-up of the Bronx River, the Parkway Reservation as well as Crestwood and Bronxville Lakes. McCartt noted, “This promises to be a fun and rewarding day for all, it will be especially great to have Westchester’s local radio station involved because their reach will bring more people and partners to the clean-up and make it the hip, feel-good activity for the fall!”  
Visit GreenEastchester.com for more information.