The first "Tour de Flushing" rolled through the borough Saturday morning. It was a chance for dozens of people to explore and discover the neighborhood on two wheels. NY1's Van Tieu takes us for a ride.
Starting at the iconic Unisphere in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, about a hundred bicyclists set off for the inaugural "Tour de Flushing" bike tour on Saturday morning.
"We really just want to show off what a wonderful place our town is," said one of its organizers, Joy Jacob. It’s the brain-child of The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, Eastern Queens Greenway, and Transportation Alternatives Eastern Queens Committee.
The tour covered nearly 20 miles. Guides led riders through the Greater Flushing area, making several stops along the way.
Including the borough's many parks, projects, and historical sites such as the Quaker Meeting House, and West Alley Road where George Washington toured in 1790.
Organizers say the neighborhood has miles of bike paths through green space but there a few gaps in between that keep it from being a seamless ride between Flushing Meadows and Alley Pond Park.
"I feel like it would benefit from enhanced infrastructure,” said John Cho, the executive director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce. “We’re advocating for the city to invest in our community to make sure that bicyclists are safe and have access to transportation."
"I think thats really important because the more we create options for people to ride the more they will,” said Fresh Meadows resident Elyssa Finkelstein.