Bikes Belong Awards $40,000 in Summer Grants

August 10, 2009

Boulder, CO—Bikes Belong awarded grants to five great projects this summer, putting more people on bicycles more often in Arkansas, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, and Wisconsin. Our funding in this round will help build bridges, bike paths, trails, and BMX facilities that will enhance communities, increase ridership, and benefit the bike business. These grants are made possible by Bikes Belong member contributions.

Walkway Over the Hudson (NY)
A $10,000 Bikes Belong grant will go to Walkway Over the Hudson for their namesake project—a bike/ped bridge that will turn the historic Poughkeepsie–Highland Railroad Bridge into a linear park and trailway. Our grant will join funding from the New York Office of Parks & Recreation and Historic Preservation, Scenic Hudson, ARRA Stimulus funds and support from the National Park Service, among others. The project is on track for completion in October, in time for the 400th anniversary celebration of Henry Hudson's first trip up the river.

More about Walkway Over the Hudson...

Friends of the Belmont Community Path (MA)
A $10,000 grant will help Friends of the Belmont Community Path, a subcommittee of the Belmont Citizens Forum, to fund a portion of the Mass Central Rail Trail from Brighton to Belmont Center. This multi-use path, which leads through a heavily populated residential area to the subway station, will serve as a major connection for bike commuters from Boston's western suburbs. Our funding will leverage a $50,000 grant from the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation, and both together will be used to match federal funding already secured for the multi-million dollar project.

More about the Belmont Community Path...

Delaware Trail Spinners—Paper Mill Park Connector Trail (DE)
The Delaware Trail Spinners will use their $10,000 grant to help build a section of natural-surface trail connecting Middle Run Valley Natural Resource Area and Paper Mill Park. This link will serve as a gateway trail, introducing new riders to mountain biking and setting the stage for trail expansion into neighboring White Clay Park. It will also help reduce car traffic at Paper Mill Park, as riders will be able to access the park safely and easily by bike. Bikes Belong's grant will complement significant in-kind contributions and volunteer trailwork as well as funding from New Castle County.

More about the Delaware Trail Spinners...

Wilderness Lakes Trails—Agonikak National Recreation Trail (WI)
A $5,000 grant will help Wilderness Lakes Trails to restore and expand a central section of the Agonikak National Recreation Trail. This scenic trail, in the Ottawa National Forest, will be a key part of the 40-mile trail system that circumnavigates the Sylvania Wilderness, enabling riders of all ages and abilities to legally experience and enjoy pristine wild lands by bike. Our funds will help match a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant for the project.

More about Wilderness Lakes Trails...

Harrison Downtown Development & Revitalization Foundation—Harrison BMX/Skatepark (AR)
The Harrison Downtown Development & Revitalization Foundation will receive a $5,000 grant to help the Harrison BMX/Skatepark Committee build a new facility in their town. The park will be part of revitalization efforts in the historic downtown area, replacing jumps and ramps local BMX riders and skaters have constructed in a dilapidated parking lot. This grant award is contingent on the group receiving federal stimulus funding for the project. They've already gained significant support from the Tony Hawk Foundation, FedEx, their local McDonalds, and several individual donors.

About Bikes Belong

Bikes Belong Coalition is the U.S. bicycle industry organization dedicated to putting more people on bicycles more often. We work to increase federal bike funding, award grants to support innovative bike projects, promote bicycling and its benefits, and back crucial national efforts such as Safe Routes to School, Bicycle Friendly Communities, and the National Bike Summit. Through the affiliated Bikes Belong Foundation, we focus on improving bicycle safety and enhancing bike programs for children.

Since Bikes Belong's Grants Program began in 1999, we have funded 191 grant proposals in 46 states and the District of Columbia, awarding nearly $1.6 million in cash and leveraging close to $525 million in federal, state, and private funding. Our facilities grants alone have helped finance more than 1,450 miles of bike paths and trails that link almost 7,500 miles of bike facilities.

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