6/21/04 Post-Rally notes: Thank you to all those who participated. We had a good turnout of riders and a great turnout of Legislators who wanted to express their support for the riding community.

The Rally Coordinator contact info has been removed from this page, but the page will be maintained for historical reference. See the June 16th article from the Times Union that followed the rally.  

 

 

[Home] [Legislation Page] [Clubs] [Rally Carry Poster] [FAR Press Release]

 

“ATVers Are Voters Too” Rally

Tuesday, June 15, 2004, 9:30-11am  

At The State Capitol, WEST Capitol Park, Albany New York

Updated 6/14/04: To see updates, hit Refresh each time you visits. (Orig 6/3/04)

 

6/14 Update: Please note that another group is demonstrating on the EAST steps, same day. We are assembling on the WEST side of the Capitol in the area known as the West Capitol Park. This is the area “uphill” from the Capitol, 180 degrees from the grand staircase which faces downhill.

New Links: [6/14 Times Union Article] [6/13 T-U Pro-ATV OpEd piece] [5/28 T-U Anti-access OpEd piece (F. LeBrun)]

 

HAD ENOUGH?

Come to Albany and tell your elected officials you want fair treatment and legal trails in New York NOW! No more delays, this IS the year.

 

What do we want?

—TRAILS—

When do we want them?

—NOW—

 

This is YOUR rally, and your presence and assistance will make all the difference. Volunteers from the state’s clubs and riders like yourself are working hard on short notice to make this happen, so please do whatever you can to support their efforts!

Bring all you riding friends and family along!

Contact your local club and get their members fired up!

 

ATVing and trail motorcycling enthusiasts are requested to come to Albany by the busload to express our frustration as one political body. Speakers will address the crowd from 10-11am then you will be sent into the Legislative Office Building (LOB) or the Capitol to meet with your Senator and Assembly Member to make them understand your frustration with the poor treatment of ATV and OHM enthusiasts in our state. Do not leave Albany without seeing your Members!

[Find out who your Members are and how to contact them here. We strongly recommend calling to request meeting times with your Legislators post-11am on Rally day.  Not registered to vote? Click here and do it online!  More voter registration info here.]

 

Due to the shortness of time we will not be seeking a parade permit. Therefore a minimum of ATVs/bikes on trucks/trailers will be able to park around the Capitol and Legislative Office Building. Machine-hauling volunteers will likely have spoken for these spots already (contact Brad for more info; must show up very early). Our main strength and aim is the number of individuals that we can get to fill the Capitol Park and file into the Halls of the Power. [Read what Franklin All-Terrain Riders has to say about the Rally.]

 

Volunteers needed—

We request that anyone with a cell phone and knowledge of the Albany area, [contact the rally coordinator] to relay your phone number for use on Rally Day so that out-of-towners can call if they need assistance getting around. Multiple numbers will be necessary. Also, we need folks who are familiar with the Legislature to stand in key places at the CAP and LOB to help attendees determine their Legislators and find their offices. Any other skill that you think you can lend to this effort, please offer it up. Many hands make light work, so please find a way to pitch in to make your Rally a successful one!

 

Directions, Maps and Parking Info—

For BUSSES, see OGS Parking Page.

Passenger vehicles may be able to find metered parking spaces in the streets surrounding the Capitol IF they arrive well before 9am. Metered spots with vehicles clearly-identified as being part of the Rally will be guarded and quarters pumped into the meters by a volunteer if you run up the two-hour prepay limit. Otherwise plentiful garage parking exists close by the Capitol.

The following links have various maps and directions for getting into the city and parking. Print them all and bring them with you:

Ø       General Directions to State Capitol

Ø       OGS (State) Parking for Cars and Busses

Ø       Albany City Parking Authority, area map

Ø       Pepsi Arena parking, directions, area map

Ø       Mapquest.com to map directions and estimate travel time

 

Where to Meet—

Our Permit to Demonstrate is for the West Capitol Park, which is north of the Legislative Office Building, situated between State St., Swan St., and Washington Ave.

 

Stuff to bring—

Vendors are plentiful in the Capitol Park. Bring a bottle of water just in case.

Print off a copy of the RALLY CARRY POSTER for every member of your group attending the rally to carry and hoist proudly.

Though this begins as an outdoor event, dress reasonably well in preparation to meet your Legislators in their offices. Media will also be on hand, so take this into consideration. Bring your most positive attitude and best behavior and this Rally go off brilliantly.

DO NOT BRING any personal belongings that you would not take to an airport if you want to be able to get in to the buildings to see your Legislative members! Security at the CAP & LOB is strict.

 

Things to know—

Be prepared to speak intelligently about what you want your elected officials to do for you, the ill-served ATV rider. Start your learning process and contact your Legislative members through of Legislation Page.

Ø       Tell them what you think about the bans and closures on your public lands. [See Road Closure Petition.]

Ø       Tell them you are outraged at the millions of dollars every year in registration fees and sales taxes collected from riders with none of it ever returned in the form of trails— absolutely unacceptable for the nation’s 3rd-largest state for ATV sales.

Ø       Tell them how much you spend on riding, and that it is time take our state’s 300,000+ riders seriously— recognize our recreational pastime in Law and Policy now.

Ø       Tell them that traveling to bordering states that have publicly-accessible trail systems — Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Ohio, Ontario, etc. — is costing New Yorkers JOBS.

Ø       Tell them enforcement can only work when there are legal trails and a functional safety training program.

Ø       Tell them that ignoring our issues, or caving to anti-access rhetoric to keep us from riding, only makes matters worse. Trail systems all over the country demonstrate that there are no user-conflicts or environmental issues that can’t be properly handled with proven land-use management techniques. Federal noise and emission requirements on new machines sold today make the air and noise pollution argument moot.

Ø       Tell them our clubs need member/landowner liability insurance NOW. They can’t promote private-land trails without it (and there hasn’t been any on the open market since 2002— same problem as the snowmobilers had, difference being their problem was previously solved with the state’s help).

Ø       Tell them that if the Legislature wants to increase registration fees, that the increase must be dedicated for an ATV program-only, and not to tax breaks for large landowners.

Ø       And, tell them it is time for the Legislature to ACT to get the trails we deserve open NOW! No more delays— 12 years of ATV-trails bills being stalled are enough!

 

What do we want?

—TRAILS—

When do we want them?

—NOW—