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Today my daughter and I met up with 42 cyclists who completed a week long bicycle trip on the East Coast Greenway from Hartford to Philadelphia. Each cyclist raised a significant amount of funds for the Greenway, and I was glad to contribute a little bit towards their efforts. I appreciate the fact that some of the money they raised makes some of my work possible. Thanks cyclists!

I saw Bill O’Neill, who I met about 15 years ago when we designed maps of the Charter Oak Greenway in Manchester, CT. “Each year we bike another section of the Greenway,” Bill said. Bill has found ways to get the Greenway built in his area by engaging the help of Army reservists. And he has gotten funding that enables me to continue to work with him.

Dennis Markatos-Soriano, the ECGA Executive Director, looked happy and not a bit tired after a week of cycling. What I really like about Dennis’ vision is his commitment to local community involvement in the greenway. You could get this sense just from his casual lunch conversation as he conveyed a desire to be an organization that is culturally and ethnically diverse.

It was great to see ECG staff members Eric Weis and Andy Hamilton. Andy had a printout of a new kiosk map that will be posted at Lloyd Hall, at Boat House Row. Andy commented to my daughter that Mike Dannemiller’s nine year old daughter biked 68 miles the day before. Mike and I have identical Bike Friday Family tandems that we ride with our girls.

Over lunch, Carol Sweeney, a strong rider at age 77, told me that she didn’t use maps because she followed Eric Weis. She commented on how road names change over and over, and how what people need is the main road number and accurate directions.

John Zeng and I are developing an app to help people like these riders get to and travel along the East Coast Greenway.