I am stuck. I cringe whenever someone says, “We should do more to market and promote the Mohawk Towpath Byway.” This is not one of my strong points and I don’t think a hard sell is appropriate or even effective in this case. However, my most comfortable clothing is a bright orange tee shirt that has a prominent message “Bike the Byway”. Another is a frayed, pail blue, faded denim, collared shirt with an embroidered Byway logo in place of the chest pocket. I realize I am quite comfortable if an old friend sees me and mentally labels me as “Mr. Byway” before they can remember my real name.

“What’s the Byway?” is a perfect opportunity to launch into my elevator speech about the driving route between Waterford or Cohoes and Schenectady that follows the historic Erie Canal and the waterway west. It’s a perfect conversation as you are standing in a checkout line trying to figure out if you are keeping a safe “social distance.” Better than trying to figure out which credit card will work with this retailer.

One of the most memorable activities was the “Walk the Byway” event back in 2010. Larry Syzdek and I started out very early one summer day in downtown Schenectady. We had refreshment stops planned along the way. He dropped off at almost precisely half way (at his house) and Ruth Olmsted joined. One of the most uncomfortable segments was the stretch that included the Cohoes – Crescent Road with narrow shoulders and limited maintenance of the vegetation along the roadway. [Note that this is stipulated by environmental concerns for activities in the regulated wetlands right up to the narrow right-of-way]. But others joined us including my wife and other supporters. Cohoes, Waterford and Halfmoon were a rewarding way to end the day. This was a promotional effort that worked. Others worked and we will continue to work. Thank you for reading.

If you would like a soft, cotton tee shirt, tan with forest green silk screen that says, “Walk the Byway” I still have a box with limited sizes.  If you walk any part of the Byway or it’s many recreational assets and would like a Byway tee shirt, I will try to find your size… providing you tell me about your favorite walk on the Byway.

With those thoughts I am off to work on another chapter of your updated Corridor Management Plan…

“An effective Marketing and Promotion strategy should include a consistent, coordinated effort of online presence, regional effort with partners, individual or group visitor outreach and international initiatives with national partners…”