Bikes Belong is delighted to make funding awards to three great projects in our Summer 2010 grant cycle. These projects will build bike paths and increase advocacy to provide better connectivity and more options for seasoned, new and emerging riders.

The Bikes Belong Grants Program is funded by our Employee Pro Purchase Program. Thanks to participating members and their employees for making these awards possible.

Austin Metro Trails and Greenways 2010 Advocacy Initiative (Austin, TX)

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 project 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.

More about the Initiative...

Housatonic Covered Bridge Bike Trail (Salisbury, CT)

The Housatonic Covered Bridge Bike Trail will extend 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 will provide cyclists with relief from the region’s hilly topography. In addition to this $5,000 grant from Bikes Belong, the National Park Service has 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.

More about Housatonic...

Kings Mountain Gateway Trail (Kings Mountain, NC)

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.

More about Kings Mountain...

Since the Bikes Belong Grants Program began in 1999, we have awarded 215 grants in 49 states and the District of Columbia, granting more than $1.7 million in cash and leveraging close to $650 million in federal, state, and private funding. Our facilities grants alone have helped finance 1,500 miles of bike paths and trails that link almost 8,000 miles of bike facilities.