Chuck Schumer: “There are few things I enjoy more than a bike ride.”

Chuck Schumer loves cycling.  He also loves cycling infrastructure, so long as it’s in Poughkeepsie.

As many of you know, there are few things I enjoy more than a  bike ride.  I ride all over the state.  I used to be…a basketball player and I used to play ball to recreate to get exercise but when I was about 50 my brain would say jump and my body would stay on the ground and I knew it was time for other exercise so I started riding a bicycle all over.  I don’t like riding it inside, you know, stationary, but I love being outside everywhere, and there is nothing that’s going to be better for bike riding than the beautiful trail we have here on both sides of the Hudson in two of the most beautiful places in the whole east of the United States and that is Duchess County and Ulster County across the river and so it’s going to be a great opportunity.

What a shame that a man who completely understands the health benefits of cycling probably can’t risk being seen riding a bike in front of his own house.

Now last time someone brought a bike and I rode over the walkway.  And it was amazing to me.  You heard so many different languages on the walkway as people came and that showed you the international reach that this beautiful beautiful site has had in terms of bringing people to the Hudson Valley, creating jobs and economic development in the Hudson Valley, helping people understand other great things we have here in the Hudson Valley as well.

You know, sometimes you need a beacon.  The Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building brings people to New York City but then they see lots of things they never would gone and have visited otherwise.  Same thing with the walkway.  It is like our Statue of Liberty here.

The funny thing about the Prospect Park West bike lane is that it’s green…just like the Statue of Liberty.