Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Does it work? Test team returns to try out new products advertised on television
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Sunday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Browns sick after sick loss in Detroit
Akron Zips:
Zips advance to Sweet Sixteen
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Post-game defensive quotes
Kent State Sports:
Kent State defeats Rochester College, 63-44
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
The Sunday Sanity Challenge
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Faye Dunaway to be Evicted?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – You are All Wrong About Jobs, or the Lack of Jobs, Being the Reason People Do Not Live in NEO
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will continue popular program next year
By Bob Downing
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Nov 13, 2008
The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's $2 fare for bicyclists was a big hit this year.
Ridership in the Bike Aboard! program nearly tripled — with 18,691 bicyclists from April through October.
The program, which is designed to get bicyclists, especially families with children, into the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, attracted about 6,500 riders in 2007.
''It's a great program and it's a big success,'' said Steven W. Wait, president and chief executive officer of the Peninsula-based tourist railroad.
''That's a lot of people and a lot of passengers, mostly families. It's a three-fold increase and that's pretty big growth.''
Bike Aboard! will continue in 2009 with the same $2 fare, Wait said.
The program is not a big moneymaker for the railroad, he said, but it is a way to increase the number of people visiting the national park.
Officials had predicted 13,000 bicyclists might ride the train in 2008. The railroad provided bicyclists with their own passenger coach near the baggage car where bikes were stored.
Last year, bicyclists could only ride the train if there were open seats and some had to be turned away on busy days.
Wait said this year the bicyclists also got their own boarding areas and their own onboard concessions, making the trips more convenient for them.
In addition, the railroad hired a younger crew of bike handlers in 2008 rather than relying on older volunteers to load and unload the bikes. That sped up the loading and unloading process, especially in often-busy Peninsula, he said.
The program will resume on weekends in April and May and again in September. It will be offered Wednesdays through Sundays from June through August and in October.
Bicyclists can pedal along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, board the train and ride it back to where they began cycling. Or they can take the train into the park, get off, hop on their bikes and pedal back to their starting point.
The service is available from Akron's Northside Station, Independence (the railroad's northern terminus) or at six designated stops along the rail route: Botzum in North Akron, Indigo Lake in Cuyahoga Falls, Peninsula, Boston Mills, Brecksville and the Canal Visitor Center in Valley View.
Bicyclists can flag down oncoming trains if they want to board with their bikes. They can pay cash or buy tickets in advance.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's $2 fare for bicyclists was a big hit this year.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
