Bikes Belong announced six fall grant awards in in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. The grants, made possible by the Bikes Belong Employee Pro Purchase Program, leverage federal funding to help make communities better places to ride.
Four separate $10,000 grants went to:
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia-Schuylkill River Trail Campaign (Philadelphia, PA) to help the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia work with a coalition of trail groups to fund and build nine segments that will complete the popular Schuylkill River Trail network. This campaign also received funding from the William Penn Foundation, and will leverage more than $22 million in trail construction costs when the network is complete.
American River Conservancy-South Fork American River Trail (Sacramento, CA) to help the American River Conservancy construct and revitalize six miles of singletrack and a bridge, connecting nearly 50 miles of trail for bikers, hikers, and equestrians.
Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts, Inc. (MORE)-Fountainhead Trails (Fairfax County, VA) to will help MORE to reroute and construct three sections of machine-built trail in Fountainhead Park, replacing eroding, unsustainable trails and improving the riding experience. The new segments of trail-phase one of four planned for this park in the D.C. Metro area-will be the first step in completing a safe, sustainable stacked-loop system for mountain bikers of varying abilities. The Conservation Fund and IMBA have also contributed to this project.
Colorado Mountain Bike Association (COMBA)-Golden Bike Park (Golden, CO) will help build the first phase of the Golden Bike Park. This project has received great support from IMBA as well as the local bike community and promises to get lots of use from mountain bikers across the Front Range.
Two separate $5,000 grants were given to:
University of South Carolina-Sumter Street Bike Lanes (Columbia, SC) to help the University of South Carolina include bike lanes in the streetscaping of a popular downtown street, helping to make the campus and community safer and more bike-friendly. USC has seen student ridership nearly double in the past year.
City of Jonesboro & the Northeast Arkansas Bicycle Coalition (NEABC)-Jonesboro Greenway (Jonesboro, AR) to help the city and NEABC build four miles of what will be a 30-mile greenway that connects residents and destinations in Jonesboro, paving the way for active transportation and recreation. The city has also secured a Community Development and Tourism Block Grant, as well as funding from Arkansas State Parks & Recreation.
