CDTA, CDPHP, and Greater Glens Falls Transit Partnership Brings New Mobility Option to North Country
GLENS FALLS, NY – May 24, 2021 – CDPHP Cycle! bike-share makes its debut in the Warren County region this riding season, as the popular alternative transportation option continues to be in high demand. The partnership between the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA), Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. (CDPHP), and Greater Glens Falls Transit (GGFT) comes as the region’s residents and incoming tourist activity promoted a strong push for bicycle ridership. This also marks the program’s first major expansion since its initial launch five years ago.
“The bike-share expansion in Warren County is a strong indicator that the public can greatly benefit from additional modes of transportation, said Carm Basile, Chief Executive Officer at CDTA. “This type of accessibility creates an ideal transportation network that supports the recreational needs of our community and advances a healthier mode of mobility. We’re also extremely excited about our introduction into Warren County and developing partnerships with new organizations there to better serve the growing transportation needs of the community.”
“I’m thrilled to see CDPHP Cycle! expand into the North Country for our fifth season, giving residents and visitors alike a healthy mode of transportation to explore all that this beautiful area has to offer,” said John D. Bennett, MD, President and CEO of CDPHP. “I commend all of our sponsors for making this possible and thank CDTA for their continued partnership and support of this wonderful program.”
“Good mobility is about offering options and creating links. Every transit rider is also a pedestrian or a cyclist. The bike share offers one more transportation option and one more link to our customers,” said Scott Sopczyk, GGFT Transportation Director. “We’re really happy to be able to make this happen in Warren County with CDPHP Cycle!”.
The expansion will encompass parts of Lake George, Queensbury, and Glens Falls, using the Warren County Bikeway as the connector. Four CDPHP Cycle! branded stations, known as hubs, and 20 bikes will be conveniently located for rental.
“We are excited that Warren County Employment & Training Administration, CDPHP, CDTA, and their partners were able to come together to create this program that will have so many benefits to our community,” said Rachel Seeber, Chairwoman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors. “This program will help our workers get to their places of employment, potentially putting more people in our workforce. It will also help open up the exciting world of bicycling to a new group of people who may want to try it out without investing in a bike first, especially with the current waitlist stemming from the ongoing demand for bicycles.”
“This is a community-wide celebration because this bike-share program will benefit our workforce, our residents, our tourists, our businesses, and our college students. Everyone wins when there are affordable and healthy transportation and recreation options,” said Liza Ochsendorf, Warren County Director of Employment & Training.
The North Country regions have made significant changes in their area to welcome CDPHP Cycle!, including additions to their trailways and municipal bicycle infrastructure. The new bike-share system will provide the public with enhanced connectivity and seamless transportation to surrounding areas, including the 9-mile stretch from the Village of Lake George to the City of Glens Falls.
“We advocated for this proven success story. Meeting the demand for transportation, this initiative supports the new generation of workers and the biking community as part of the infrastructure of our community,” said Amy Potter, EDC Warren County Marketing & Communications Director.
Currently, the CDPHP Cycle! system is in five cities within the Capital Region (Albany, Cohoes, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, and Troy) and is designed to support part of the regional transportation network —this includes an emphasis on access to transit services, neighborhoods, and areas with low car ownership. Bicycle renters can pay hourly or “pay as you go” for $0.08 per minute, monthly or seasonal with a flat rate including an allotted number of free minutes per day and then $0.08 after.
More than 19,000 members and 120,000 rides have been taken since the program’s inception in 2017. CDPHP Cycle! operates April 1 – November 30 each year. For more information, visit the CDPHP Cycle! website.
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About CDPHP®
Established in 1984, CDPHP is a physician-founded, member-focused and community-based not-for-profit health plan that offers high-quality affordable health insurance plans to members in 29 counties throughout New York. CDPHP is also on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram