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(09.04.01)

Bikes Belong Coalition Awards Grant to Finish the Burke-Gilman Trail

Bikes Belong, the industry coalition putting more people on bicycles, announced today that it has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to aid its efforts to complete the final segment of the Burke-Gilman Trail. The 50 mile corridor of the Burke Gilman trail is seamless except for a 1.5 mile "missing link" in the industrial area of Seattle

The Bikes Belong grant will fund efforts to complete the 1.5 mile gap. "We're so pleased that Bikes Belong has stepped in to assist in the completion of the "missing link," said Lisa Robinson. "The finished trail will allow thousands of cyclists and pedestrians a safe route of passage through an industrial area. The effects in our community are far reaching and will be enjoyed for years to come." Robinson is Product Manager for Seattle-based Sportworks and a member of the Bikes Belong Board of Directors.

A million people use the Burke-Gilman Trail annually. The Trail stretches from Golden Gate Parks on the shores of Puget Sound through the University of Washington, where it is heavily used by students, staff, and faculty. The Burke-Gilman Trail connects to the Sammanish River Trail, which in turn connects to another trail that links to the cross-state trail, creating hundreds of miles of traffic-free travel by bicycle.

According to a recent study in Puget Sound Trends Magazine, the completion of the "missing link" will have dramatic effects on bicycle usage. The study found that bicycle commuting on the Burke Gilman Trail increased from 6% in 1985 to 32% in 2000; and that shopping by bicycle along the Trail rose from 0% to 6%. Completion of the 1.5 mile gap will further accelerate these trends.

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington, the recipient of the Bikes Belong grant, also noted the Trail's importance. "The Burke-Gilman Trail is the cornerstone of our regional trail system," said Barbara Culp, Executive Director of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. "When this missing link is completed, trail users will be able to travel from the shores of Puget Sound to the shores of Lake Sammanish separated from traffic."

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington was founded in 1987 to promote bicycling for transportation, recreation, adventure and fitness.

Bikes Belong Coalition is sponsored by the American bicycle industry, with the goal of putting more people on bicycles more often.

Bikes Belong Coalition assists local organizations, agencies, and communities in developing bicycle facilities projects that will be funded by TEA-21, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. Bikes Belong has awarded $336,000 in grants, with a return of over $183 million in funding for bicycle facilities.

For more information about the Bikes Belong grants program, call 619.734.2111, email tim@bikesbelong.org, or visit www.bikesbelong.org.

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