By Silvia Ascarelli, West Windsor. Thank you, Franklin Township officials, for closing a section of Canal Road for “Walk and Roll” on July 30. On behalf of all who participated in the East Coast Greenway’s 7-mile bike ride – “Following in the footsteps of George Washington … and his spy” – I want you to know we had a wonderful time and how much we appreciated the rare opportunity to biking on this road during a quiet moment. I also would like to thank the Griggstown Volunteer Fire Department for its water and candy stop by the lock keeper’s house and the volunteers of the Millstone Valley Scenic Byway for our rest stop on the Griggstown Causeway. Our family-friendly bike took us along the road George Washington and his troops used after their victory at the Battle of Princeton in 1777, something the 5-year-olds and 7-year-old in our group never would have been able to do if Canal Road hadn’t been closed to all but local traffic. We stopped to spot turtles on both Canal Road and the D&R Canal towpath (part of the 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway connecting cities all along the East Coast.) We saw many other people, from young to old, having a wonderful and relaxing time on a traffic-free Canal Road as we biked. What a successful event! Canal Road will again be closed between Rocky Hill and Griggsstown from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday Aug. 13, and the East Coast Greenway will repeat its free bike ride (together with RideWise, which promotes transportation choices in Somerset County). We invite everyone to join us. You can learn more about the ride and can register at greenway.org/events.
The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
