We’re making biking better in West Virginia through funding local bike projects, supporting pro-bike policies and legislation at the local and state levels and highlighting great hometown routes on Ride Spot. In spring 2020, our Community Grant Program helped fund the creation of a beginner bike trail at Cacapon State Park to complement the existing advanced trails throughout the park. The trail meets the requirements for NICA mountain bike team races, events and will ultimately support the local team as well as residents and visitors.

In 2020, the Youth Cycling Coalition (YCC), a collaboration between 10 different bicycling organizations, set out to find the ideal location for its inaugural pilot program. The YCC’s model is based on collective action — through place-based programming, we want all kids to access, experience and develop a life-long love of bicycling, the ultimate goal being the integration of cycling into the fabric of local communities. In line with that mission, the team sought a community with a high need for youth programs, as well as a place with the potential to grow a robust youth bicycling movement.

After considering more than 30 locations around the U.S, the 30,000-person city of Morgantown, West Virginia, was ultimately selected.

West Virginia is a state known for its high rates of obesity, poverty and drug use, as well as its low rates of education. From brain drain, opioid abuse and health issues to crumbling infrastructure, struggling education systems and low reporting on quality of life, there’s no shortage of important issues at stake. West Virginia ranks the fourth highest for childhood obesity rates in the nation and more than one-in-four children live in poverty.

In Morgantown, the socioeconomic disparity that exists is severe. According to the 2018 census, the median household income for Morgantown residents is $41,071 a year, substantially lower than the average U.S. median income of $63,179. A school’s free/reduced lunch rate serves as an indicator of poverty among students and by many definitions a “high needs school” can be classified as one having a 30% or more free/reduced lunch rate. In Monongalia County, where Morgantown is situated, the average free/reduced lunch rates across elementary, middle and high schools is 37%.

On top of those socioeconomic challenges, Morgantown remains a difficult place to ride a bike. In the PeopleForBikes City Ratings system, a score of 50 tends to be the threshold for great places to ride — while it jumped six points from 2021, showing significant improvement, Morgantown’s 2022 score is 36. From narrow, shoulderless roadways to a mountainous topography riddled with curves and extreme grades, road riding in the region can be both intimidating and dangerous. Although singletrack and a robust mountain biking culture exist, there remains a lack of diversity in terrain and trail difficulty that serves as a barrier for beginners. The area of greatest need is beginner and family-focused bike trails, alongside riding facilities like skills areas and pump tracks.

Despite the challenges facing Morgantown youth, there is a massive amount of potential for a widespread bike movement. In the last year and a half of partnering with local institutions, the YCC has already seen significant change. The combined efforts from the YCC, the city, county, grassroots leaders and West Virginia University are coming together to improve infrastructure and accelerate the pace of development as a part of an overall vision for the area. Among everyone involved, there’s a palpable sense of excitement and momentum.

The YCC is working in close partnership with the Brad and Alys Smith Office of Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative (OEDC) at West Virginia University. Using education, research, community engagement and asset development, the collaborative creates initiatives to improve the health, economy and future of West Virginians. The YCC and OEDC share a vision for a future Morgantown with a broad and integrated network of cycling programs that serve students throughout their K-12 education. The end goal is a sustainable ecosystem that provides equal opportunities and is inclusive of people of all backgrounds and all walks of life, regardless of their age, gender, race or socioeconomic status.

A big step in realizing this vision is the activation of new infrastructure and riding facilities within close proximity to schools and neighborhoods. Also important is a comprehensive education campaign geared towards the broader Morgantown community using best practices developed by YCC members and partners. Danny Twilley, Ph.D., the OEDC’s assistant VP of economic, community and asset development, sees bicycling as an indispensable part of Morgantown’s future.

“Building off the backbone of our nationally recognized rail trail network, our goal is to have trail access within a mile of every resident in the city of Morgantown,” said Twilley. “When you create this type of access, it has both physical and mental health benefits.”

Studies have shown that on average, that type of access can lead to individuals exercising 45 minutes more per week than those who lack similar access. In a place with stark health outcomes, that difference can be life changing.

“Further, research has shown that when people spend time, at least 120 minutes per week, in nature, they see positive psychological benefits,” said Twilley. “Access is critical to achieving these benefits.”

In January 2020, the OEDC team received an International Mountain Biking Association Trail Accelerator grant, which allowed them to partner with expert trail builders and local entities to create a master bike plan. That plan links existing trails and recreation sites, prioritizing access to schools while also introducing new beginner-friendly, bike-optimized trails. When the City of Morgantown received word of this master plan — and that the YCC had selected their city as its pilot location — they were so enthusiastic that as a result, city planners have since developed a complementary master plan of their own. The trail plan includes a sample platter of different trail types, from shared-use paths to beginner-level directional flow gravity trails.

In addition to the trail development master plan, an ambitious and inspirational project is also underway at the 400-acre Mylan Park. The Mylan Park Action Complex will serve as a regional draw for action sports and will include freestyle areas, advanced jump lines, pump tracks and skill development areas. Funding opportunities have been identified and are being pursued. Planning and engineering work has been completed on the complex.

Working in conjunction with all of these exciting infrastructure projects are the YCC’s members, which are working to engage youth from elementary school through high school around bike-based programming. USA BMX Foundation will bring programming into 3rd-5th grade classrooms this fall. Project Bike Tech is already underway building a classroom at University High School and will offer their first class in the fall. The League of American Bicyclists is partnering with West Virginia University to provide LCI training seminars starting this summer.

In March of this year, Little Bellas launched in Morgantown. The organization provides mountain-bike-based mentoring for girls aged 7-18. Incredibly, after just one season of Little Bellas programming, the Morgantown National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) league has already seen an increase in young female ridership. Cassie Smith, the West Virginia NICA League Director as well as a Little Bellas mentor, has seen firsthand how two YCC programs can support one another and elevate local cycling as a whole.

“Little Bellas is already proving to be a great feeder program for NICA,” said Smith. “After only one season, we had three out of four eligible athletes already registered with the West Virginia league!”

While the youth of Morgantown are up against big challenges, an increasing number have an incredible tool for change at their disposal: the bike. As long as Morgantown continues to center its vision for a brighter future around youth and investing in infrastructure improvements that most benefit families, the payoff will continue to be substantial.

Morgantown’s Bike Strategy Focuses on Youth

Growing up as one of the first international adoptees in West Virginia, Mia Fox did not have role models who looked like her in the community, let alone in bicycling. “My parents got me involved in wonderful activities like music and dance,” says Fox. “ I never got to explore sports because I didn't even know that those opportunities were at my fingertips.”

Today, Mia is changing that. As the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) Girls Riding Together (GRiT) coordinator in West Virginia, Mia is making sure other girls see themselves reflected in the sport and getting on bikes. And she’s seeing results: NICA West Virginia has one of the highest female participation rates in the United States.

“Women and minority groups are out there,” says Fox. “It's critical to connect with schools, local organizations, churches, nonprofits, and the community. Exposure and connection is key.”

GRiT is NICA’s focused effort to get more girls and women into bicycling, with reports showing that girls make up just 20% of NICA participants around the country. Already, with a 34.1% participation rate, West Virginia is surpassing NICA’s national goal for female student-athlete and coach participation rates of 33% by the end of 2023. 

GRiT coordinators plan girls-only events, rides, camps, clinics, and socializing opportunities with a concentrated effort on reaching historically marginalized groups.  “Monthly calls with GRiT coordinators empower each state to formulate ideas, plans, and activities,” says Fox. “Coordinators for each state go out into their communities to draw in those groups.”

Outreach from coordinators is key to reaching new NICA participants, as is elevating youth voices. GRIT coordinators and ambassadors go to schools, nonprofit afterschool programs, churches, and other community-centered locations to showcase the GRiT program. The young GRiT ambassadors are encouraged to share their passion for riding, inviting their classmates and communities to experience the joys and experiences that mountain bikes provide.

“We really listen to our female student-athletes,” says Fox. “They really like scavenger hunts, overnight sleepaway camp, and riding two or three miles while talking the entire time.” 

An avid cyclist, Fox was already organizing Moms on Bikes (MOBS) rides in Charleston, West Virginia, prior to joining the NICA team. As NICA began encouraging more female coaches, MOBS became a great place to recruit new coaches. 

“Once you get the moms to feel empowered and see that trails we’re riding are not scary, they come back the next week,” says Fox. “We show them what we’re teaching the kids to do and that’s how we get them to be coaches.”

Early on, many moms share how they haven’t ridden a bike since childhood. “We take them out on a beginner flow trail and that’s how we flip the switch,” says Fox. “They’re riding the trails, overcoming their fears, and experiencing joy. We ‘coach’ them before our season starts, helping them feel empowered and helping them to become level one coaches.” By the end, many of the daughters start joining the MOBS rides, bringing the experience full circle.

In the U.S. and globally, there’s a noted gender gap that exists in bicycling that can be attributed to a variety of physical, cultural and societal barriers. Fox’s work to build female bike ridership is helping achieve gender parity in NICA and beyond. Beyond gender inequalities, NICA is also addressing the income barriers that prevent youth from accessing mountain biking. “We have the Trek Pathfinders scholarship and a GRiT-specific scholarship in West Virginia,” says Fox. Trek Pathfinder scholarships provide student-athletes from historically underrepresented communities with a mountain bike, helmet, shoes, accessories, and a kit, along with a stipend to cover NICA league membership fees and a full season of racing.

As NICA continues to broaden and diversify the sport of bicycling, the West Virginia chapter of GRiT is a strong example of the leadership and coordination it takes to get more girls on bikes. 

“Being a female minority, you gotta see it to believe it,” says Fox. “You have to see somebody you can look up to.”

Interested in GRiT? Click here to see if there is a NICA GRiT program near you. 

Growing Female Ridership in West Virginia

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed a bill into law on March 9, 2023, expanding the eligible uses of electric bicycles statewide. House Bill 2062 clarifies the current state law, allows for Class 2 electric bicycle use throughout the state, and eases restrictions on Class 3 e-bike use.

PeopleForBikes believes that electric bicycles are the future of transportation and recreational riding due to their ability to increase communities' health and decrease carbon emissions by replacing trips that would be otherwise taken by car. E-bikes are replacing single vehicle trips, helping people ride their bikes further with more convenience, and making folks happier and healthier in the process.

Before the bill was passed, West Virginia law did not define Class 2 electric bicycles. Instead, only Class 1 (pedal-assist up to 20 mph) and Class 3 (pedal-assist up to 28 mph) were defined. Class 2 electric bicycles use a throttle and can be pedal-assist to propel the bike up to a maximum speed of 20 mph.

Now that Gov. Justice signed the bill into law, Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles can now travel on roads and trails in West Virginia where traditional bicycles are allowed and will be given the same rights and privileges of analog bicycles.

According to the bill’s sponsor, Delegate Heather Tully, the intent of the bill is to promote tourism and increase access to public lands, including individuals with disabilities, health issues, or age-related limitations. 

In addition, West Virginia State Parks Chief Bradley Reed told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, from which the bill advanced in January, that he had never heard a complaint about excessive electric bicycle speed from a park user or customer.

Nationwide, PeopleForBikes’ goal is to clearly define electric bicycles and provide sensible rules for their use. We strive to pass our model three-class legislation in all 50 states to ensure that:



Outdated vehicle regulations are updated to reflect technological advances.

Low-speed electric bicycles are regulated similarly to traditional bicycles.

Consumers and retailers are not confused about their state’s electric bicycle laws.

The public is encouraged to take advantage of the benefits that electric bicycles offer.

You can find details on your state’s specific electric bicycle law here. With any questions or for more information, please contact PeopleForBikes’ eMTB Policy and Program Manager Rachel Fussell at rachel@peopleforbikes.org.

West Virginia’s New Law Legalizes Class 2 E-Bike Access

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On Aug. 29, Department of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt ordered the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service (NPS) to establish interim policies within 30 days that guide the use of e-bikes on public lands. The departments were encouraged to adopt a policy that allows e-bikes to be ridden where traditional bicycles are allowed. You can learn more about the Secretarial Order.

The NPS announced its new e-bike policy on Aug. 30, stating that e-bikes may be used in the same manner as traditional bicycles, allowing them on park roads, paved or hardened trails, areas designated for off-road motor vehicle use and administrative roads where traditional bikes are allowed. E-bikes are not allowed in wilderness areas and individuals may not operate an e-bike where the motor can be used to propel the rider without pedaling, except in locations that are open to motor vehicle traffic.

NPS Superintendents had 30 days following the agency’s announcement to either amend their Compendium to include an e-bike policy that considers the safety, resource protection and local requirements of their community, or to adopt the e-bike policy as stated in the National Park Service’s announcement.

PeopleForBikes maintains a spreadsheet of the National Parks, Monuments, Seashores and Recreational Areas that have either updated their Superintendent’s Compendium to reflect the Secretarial Order or created a new e-bike policy based on local community needs of their land. We will keep this updated with information as we receive it and hope it is a useful resource.

These policy announcements are a watershed moment for e-bikes riders. Next time you plan a trip to the outdoors with your e-bike, check out the many new incredible rides available in national parks. Happy trails!

The White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park

Going-to-the-sun Road, Glacier National Park

Stone Cliff Road, New River Gorge National River

Lake Village Trail, Yellowstone National Park

The Youth Cycling Coalition (YCC), a partnership of 10 youth-focused bicycling organizations, has announced a commitment to growing youth bicycling through the launch of a pilot program in Morgantown, West Virginia.  

Founded in 2019 with leaders from youth cycling programs across the U.S., the YCC brings together industry partners and bicycling advocates to get more children on bikes and keep them riding into adulthood. With a vision of collaboration and collective action, the YCC operates on the understanding that bicycling provides direct mental and physical health benefits for youth today, and continued riding can secure these benefits long term. 

The Youth Cycling Coalition is composed of the following organizations: Free Bikes 4 Kidz, The League of American Bicyclists, Little Bellas, National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), PeopleForBikes, Project Bike Tech, Safe Routes Partnership, Trips For Kids, USA BMX Foundation and USA Cycling. 

The pilot program in Morgantown will combine the collective network, resources, programming and expertise of each organization as well as local partners. By ensuring kids have access to bikes, offering recreational and competitive opportunities as well as a mode of active transportation to reach everyday destinations, the YCC anticipates the partnership helping cities and towns fully integrate bicycling into the everyday lives of our nation’s youth. 

"As we look to ignite a passion for biking through experiential learning and STEM with our programs, we are pleased to support this historic, collaborative effort,” said  Mercedes Ross, executive director of Project Bike Tech and Mike DuVarney, executive director of USA BMX Foundation. “Each partner involved is committed to providing the  youth of Morgantown opportunities that not only benefit them now, but also extend far beyond the classroom with 21st-century skills employers are looking for.” 

In Morgantown, West Virginia University and the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative (OEDC) are working with the YCC to build on their goals of introducing more youth to bicycling and growing outdoor recreation opportunities in the region.

The energy of a college town coupled with an abundance of established outdoor recreation assets makes Morgantown an ideal outdoor community to serve as a pilot for the YCC. 

“The City of Morgantown is privileged to be selected as the initial site for the YCC’s pilot program,” said Morgantown Mayor Rob Delaney. “Not only do we offer great recreational cycling opportunities locally, but as a community, we have been working hard to build more bicycle-friendly infrastructure throughout our city.” 

With support from the Flagg Family Foundation, USA Cycling and PeopleForBikes will provide seed funding for the initiative while also engaging in the work. The two organizations recently partnered in efforts to support getting, and keeping, more people riding bikes nationwide.  

“Growing bicycling in the U.S. starts with getting more kids on bikes and keeping them riding into adulthood. USA Cycling and PeopleForBikes will bring our history of partnership — and the resources and networks of each organization — to this comprehensive youth-focused initiative,” said USA Cycling President Rob  DeMartini and PeopleForBikes CEO Jenn Dice. “We know that investing in youth is investing in the future of our communities. The nonprofits that came together to design and steer this program are a talented and effective bunch — we are proud  to be part of the Youth Cycling Coalition.” 

The YCC looks forward to building collaboration around getting more kids on bikes and sharing stories of innovative and effective partnerships in Morgantown, a future pilot program in Charlotte, North Carolina, and other communities nationwide. 

Youth Cycling Coalition Announces Partners and Launch of Pilot Program 

More than $50,000 awarded to projects dedicated to building great places to ride bikes

Since 1999, we have awarded 439 grants to non-profit organizations and local governments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Our investments total more than $3.5 million and have leveraged $775 million in public and private funding. To decide which projects receive funding, we invite staff members interested in spending 10-12 hours reviewing, scoring, discussing and debating grant finalists to participate in the Grant Review Committee. We ask at least one person from each PeopleForBikes department to join the group because every team, and every person, brings a fresh and different perspective.

The process was shaped by the quarantine: Meet with the committee in the conference room? No way. Lay out the pros and cons on a whiteboard? Nope. Homemade rhubarb coffee cake to boost your blood sugar during the mid-review lull? Couldn’t do that either. After months of e-meetings, we struggled to stay focused, but the energy of the projects and the people who are building them lifted our spirits.

Every year, we get more top notch grant proposals than we can possibly fund. Selecting the best ones  is a difficult task. But as long as projects keep getting built, we’ll keep funding because we know, perhaps now more than ever, that great places to ride are essential. Here, with deep appreciation to the brands that support our Community Grants Program (Batch, Cannondale, Giant, Niner, Shimano, Trek and Vaast), are the Spring 2020 grant recipients:

The Urban Bike Project will use this funding to purchase and install a bike fix-it station to complement the two stations the City of Wilmington is building. The stations will be placed in key locations around the city that do not have access to other bike repair options.

Bike Durham Low Stress Network Advocacy Campaign: $10,000

This comprehensive advocacy campaign will help Bike Durham develop a complete multimodal network. Their ambitious goal: A city commitment to fund and implement 125 miles of slow streets, protected bike lanes and greenway infrastructure by 2025.

Creation of a Beginner Trail at Cacapon State Park: $10,000

This PeopleForBikes grant will help the Cacapon Resort State Park foundation build a 2.6-mile, beginner-level mountain bike trail to complement the existing advanced trails throughout the park. This addition will create a trail loop that meets the requirements  for NICA mountain bike team races, helping support the local team as well as residents and visitors from near and far.

Baltimore Play Streets Advocacy Program: $8,000

Baltimore will use this funding to develop a Play Streets pilot to plan and pay for community events that will  serve as outreach and engagement tools to help plan future infrastructure improvements.

A devastating flash flood in July 2019 created a 40-foot chasm in the 51-mile Redbank Valley Trail, rendering it impassable along a popular stretch. PeopleForBikes’ grant will help the Redbank Valley Trails Association build a bridge to reconnect these sections and revive this popular destination for residents and visitors.

Silver Dollar BMX Relocation and Track Rebuild: $7,500

PeopleForBikes’ grant will help fund this track relocation project. The new facility will include two world-class BMX tracks, allowing the organization to expand and serve more riders across Northern California.

Coos Cycling Club will use this funding to connect the existing mountain bike trail network in Gorham to the downtown area with three related projects: improvements to the main “Pipeline” trail, addition of an easy climbing trail and construction of a loop trail with skills features.

Neighbors Building Neighborhoods of Muskogee will use this grant to install bike racks in the newly renovated Depot District public space. The bike parking will serve people riding to downtown attractions including the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Muskogee Little Theater.

PeopleForBikes Announces Spring Community Grants Recipients

Across most of America, the snow has melted, the sun is shining, and here at PeopleForBikes, we can’t get enough rides out on our public lands to soak in it all. We’re on two wheels celebrating and enjoying the success of the public lands package (the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, S. 47) that was signed into law in March. PeopleForBikes is proud to support the bipartisan package that permanently reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and expanded the Every Kid in a Park program, and we’re working to keep the momentum on public lands and recreation going in Washington, D.C.

While the public lands package included many of our priorities, there are a number of pieces of recreation-focused legislation that still need to move through Congress. We are urging Congress to make good on its word to permanently fund LWCF, pass permit streamlining legislation, and take action on the growing maintenance backlog in our National Parks and public lands.

LWCF permanent funding: The public lands package passed LWCF permanent reauthorization, which means that we no longer have to fight for annual reauthorization on one of the most bipartisan issues. That doesn’t take into account guaranteed funding, which the LWCF Permanent Funding Act (S. 1081) would. Introduced in April by Sens. Manchin (D-WV) and Gardner (R-CO), this bill would permanently fund LWCF at $900 million annually and would be a win for public lands and those who choose to bike on them across America. Congress should consider the LWCF Permanent Funding Act as necessary for any slew of recreation enhancement bills.

An innovative funding solution for maintenance backlog: Our national parks have billions of dollars in maintenance backlog, which includes trails and other elements of the visitor experience for cyclists. Proposed legislation would leverage some of the energy revenues on public lands for the maintenance backlog, which would help to fund the massive backlog that exists today. We strongly support efforts to reduce the backlog and, due to its current size, an innovative solution will be necessary. The current bill in Congress is called the Restore Our Park Act (S. 500), introduced by Senators Portman (R-OH), Warner (D-VA), Alexander (R-TN), and King (I-ME) and continues to be a priority of the outdoor recreation community.

Permit streamlining: Efforts in Congress are underway to streamline permitting on federal lands, all of which help get more people on public lands more efficiently. The recently introduced Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act (SOAR, S. 1665) from Sens. Heinrich (D-NM) and Capito (R-WV) aims to do just that. As bicycle tourism on public lands becomes more popular, tour companies and guides are struggling to comply with complicated permitting regulations, especially when trips include multiple land management jurisdictions (e.g., BLM and NPS lands). We strongly support comprehensive streamlining of the permitting process. Take action and urge your senators to become cosponsors here.

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