35-km. bicycle trail to open in the North

Route connecting Karmiel and Misgav expected to attract thousands of cyclists.

By NADIA BEIDAS
bike 224.88 (photo credit: Sarah Levin [file])
bike 224.88
(photo credit: Sarah Levin [file])
A new bicycle trail in the North that will connect the city of Karmiel and the Misgav Regional Council is expected to attract thousands of cyclists when it fully opens to the public in October, Jewish Agency spokeswoman Hagit Halali said this week. The opening ceremony for the bicycle trail, including a bike ride, will be held next Monday, according to Yael Raich, Partnership 2000 director for the Jewish Agency. Raich said the goal of the new bike trail is to increase local and foreign tourism to the area, which has dropped this year due to the economic crisis. "I think that this area is meant to be a beautiful area for tourism and we hope that this bike trail will do this [increase tourism]," she said. The trail is also suitable for hikers. Along the 35-km. path, riders will pass through Karmiel, the Hilazon Riverbed Channel Junction, the olive and avocado groves of Moshav Yodfat, the Bedouin village of Sha'ab and the Hirbat Rosh Zit ruins, Halali said. This path is good for families to come together, Halali said. They can choose from a number of entrances and exits to the path and design their own route. This event is sponsored by the city of Karmiel, the Misgav Regional Council, the United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, and Partnership 2000 of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Halali said. The ceremony to launch the path will take place at 4 p.m., with the bicycle ride beginning at 5, Halali said. Attendees will include co-chairman of the Israel Department of the Jewish Agency Rany Trainin, Karmiel Mayor Adi Eldar, Ron Shani of the Misgav Regional Council, co-chairpersons of Pittsburgh Partnership 2000 Linda Simon and Skip Greenberg and other partnership 2000 activists and volunteers.