Grants Awarded

Since 1999, Bikes Belong has awarded 215 grants to bicycling projects and programs in 49 states and the District of Columbia.

To search our grants database, select a state, grant type, and/or year and click Submit.

Kings Mountain Gateway Trail

Organization Kings Mountain Gateway Trails, Inc.
State NC
Year 2010
Type Bike Path

The first two miles of the Kings Mountain Gateway Trail opened in November 2009, and already the trail has become a popular recreation destination for Kings Mountain bikers, hikers, and walkers. This $5,000 grant will fund a 2.8 mile extension of the multi-use trail, including stream and rail crossings. The new trail will allow cyclists to start their ride from downtown Kings Mountain and improve connectivity within the town as well. Future phases of the trail will connect to nearby state parks, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, the Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina, the cities of Shelby and Cherryville, NC, and the Carolina Thread Trail. Land has also been allocated along the Kings Mountain Gateway Trail for three future singletrack mountain biking trails.

See map: Google Maps

Housatonic Bike Trail

Organization Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, Inc.
State CT
Year 2010
Type Bike Routes/Lanes

The Housatonic Covered Bridge Bike Trail extends for 45 miles along New England’s scenic Housatonic River Valley, eventually linking more than 100 miles of trail, dozens of town centers, one high school, two elementary schools, a major prep school, and six-dozen heritage sites. The wide, flat trail provides cyclists with relief from the region’s hilly topography. In addition to this $5,000 grant from Bikes Belong, the National Park Service committed one year of technical assistance to the trail’s development. The trail will be part of a system running from New Milford, CT, to Pownal, VT, and will connect to the East Coast Greenway in the future.

See map: Google Maps

2010 Advocacy Initiative

Organization Austin Metro Trails and Greenways
State TX
Year 2010
Type Advocacy

This $5,000 advocacy grant will help the Austin Metro Trails and Greenways (AMTG) organization to promote a new transportation bond package, which is up for voter approval in November. Included in the bond package is $40 million in funding for a diverse mix of 15 bike and pedestrian projects, totaling more than 50 miles of facilities. Projects will include bike lanes, trails, parking, an underpass, a bridge and streetscape improvements. One goal of the package is to increase bicycling in underserved areas by improving bike connections in lower-income neighborhoods. Many of the projects will connect to existing trails—popular with Austin residents for both recreational and transportation riding—such as the Lance Armstrong Crosstown Bikeway and the Barton Creek Greenbelt, significantly improving the integration of Austin’s regional trail network. After the November election, this grant will also help AMTG build community support for future bicycling initiatives.

See map: Google Maps

Ester Dome Singletrack

Organization Alaska Trails
State AK
Year 2010
Type Mountain Bike Project

Alaska Trails used our funding to help construct 8 miles of singletrack-the first in the Fairbanks area-to complement the existing doubletrack trails at popular Ester Dome, in the Happy Valley drainage. The trail helped educe crowding and user conflicts experienced on the doubletrack, which is also open to motorized users, and create a more tranquil experience for mountain bikers, trail runners, and snowshoers. Alaska Trails received two Recreational Trails Program grants as well as significant local support for this trail project, which set the stage for an entire network of singletrack at Ester Dome. This was Bikes Belong's first grant to the state of Alaska.

See map: Google Maps

Skyline Wilderness Park

Organization Black Hills Mountain Bike Association
State SD
Year 2010
Type Mountain Bike Project

A $5,000 Bikes Belong grant helped the Black Hills Mountain Bike Association (BHMBA) build 10 miles of singletrack at Skyline Wilderness Park in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota. This gateway trail system brings recreation right to the community's doorstep and provides the city's Parks Department with a central venue to host classes and clinics for mountain bikers of all abilities. It also complements other BHMBA efforts, including the Black Hills Dirt Jump Park and several new and proposed trail systems-all of which contribute to Rapid City's concerted effort to be a premier destination for mountain biking. Our funding helped leverage a Recreational Trails Program grant for this project, which has received significant city funding and local support.

See map: Google Maps