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Route, Dates and Highlights

May 19-26, 2001
FESTIVALS IN SIX COMMUNITIES

There is much excitement about the coming of the NESEA Tour in our host communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. Our local organizing committees are excited about the educational opportunities for their children, and the new opportunities to offer test drives in vehicles that are available today. They feel they can draw more people to the event than ever before. The addition of media sponsors, food and music are seen by many as important elements of a successful promotional strategy. The entrants will also enjoy a new schedule with one event per day, and rally-route, which follows incedibly beautiful secondary roads in the Berkshires and in central Massachusetts.

May 19-21
WATERBURY, CT HOSTS THE START

It is with great pleasure that we return to Waterbury, CT for the fourth time. The Waterbury Region Convention and Visitors Bureau, Silver sponsor, will host the event at Library Park, which is perfect for technical testing and for attracting a great weekend crowd. The Connecticut Department of Transportation, also Silver sponsor, will map the entire route with their modern photologging equipment, and assist with the efforts in Waterbury, which could include a weekend food and music festival, a Junior Solar Sprint event for middle school children, antique cars, a seminar sponsored by the local Society of Automotive Engineers, a bicycle event and more. On Monday, area schools will be invited to take a field trip to the Tour and participate in a lunchtime starting ceremony - which is always a great media draw.

Wednesday, May 23
ALBANY, NEW YORK

Governor George Pataki has been a great advocate of advanced vehicle technologies, not only for their clean air and energy benefits, but to enhance economic development in the State of New York and he has had great success. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and the New York Power Authority have joined us as sponsors to help showcase the NESEA Tour, and the many "Made in New York" successes, such as Orion Bus Company, Lockheed Martin, and the Ford/Baker partnership manufacturing US postal vehicles in Rome, NY.

The event, held on the doorstep of the State Capital and the Legislative Office Buildings, has already attracted much interest from the Governor and the Legislators.

MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts is host to four of the six events held at the NESEA Tour this year!

Tuesday, May 22 - Pittsfield will host the first major festival along the route. (Participants will spend the night near historic Lenox, home of Tanglewood in the Berkshires.) This is the second time that the NESEA Tour will visit Pittsfield, and the local committee, knowing the potential, is very enthusiastic. Downtown Pittsfield Inc., the Center for Ecological Technologies, the Mayor’s Office, Western Massachusetts Electric, local school administrators, and several other individuals and non-profits have been joined by a new Pittsfield business, Electric Vehicles Worldwide. They are all working together to make this event a great educational opportunity for area school children, and the general public.

Thursday, May 24 - Greenfield, NESEA’s hometown! On the way to Greenfield, the entrants will have the challenge of driving over the Berkshire Mountains from Albany with an overnight stop in Williamstown and North Adams. Many Greenfield committee members remember the Tour from our visit in 1997 and ideas are popping out all over. In addition to a downtown lunch-time event for the general public and area students with food, music, and a bike event. They are also exploring the possibility of holding an early evening event Greenfield Community College with the handling (Autocross) competition for the entrants.

Friday, May 25 - Worcester, the second largest city in New England, and home to 11 institutions of higher learning, will host the NESEA Tour for the first time. Representatives from the Mayor’s Office, the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, the local Transit Authority, and several state agencies, colleges, and non-profits participated in the first planning meeting. They are really excited about the opportunity to host the Tour! Massachusetts Governor Cellucci will be invited to join us in Worcester, at the beautiful downtown City Hall park. Worcester will also host the last competitive event during the Tour the range and long distance reliability event.

Saturday, May 26 - Boston, the Capital of Massachusetts, will host the finish line. The committee is particularly excited about trying to hold the event on the Boston Common, and making it a multi-modal event with bicycle and walking activities as well as promoting clean vehicles and "riding the T." Test drives, food, transportation related exhibits and activities, including music and the Awards Ceremony on a central stage is their vision of how to draw thousands of people to this very popular weekend destination and the grand finale of the NESEA Tour!