Active Southern West Virginia, through its Active SWV Bike/Walk program, seeks to increase multi-modal transportation opportunities in the New River Gorge region. Active SWV initiated the acquisition and installation of bicycle racks on the fourteen public transportation vehicles of the New River Transit Authority operated by Raleigh County Community Action. It is the goal of the New River Transit Authority operated by Raleigh County Community Action to provide the New River Gorge region with affordable public transportation.
Contact our office to learn more about biking, advocacy, and improving access to physical activity. (304) 254-8488 or [email protected].
In a joint effort to improve the range of multimodal transportation opportunities throughout the greater Beckley area, city officials and the leadership of the New River Transit Authority operated by Raleigh County Community Action agreed to work together to acquire and install external bike racks on the vehicles used by the New River Transit Authority. The City has committed to provide partial funding for the purchase of the racks as well as to install the racks in-house. Beckley Area Foundation funded the remaining amount to finish the project. Active SWV offered to work with the New River Transit Authority operated by Raleigh County Community Action, on behalf of the New River Gorge Trail Alliance.
Project partners and supporters:
- New River Gorge Trail Alliance
- The City of Beckley
- New River Transit Authority operated by RCCAA WV
- Fayette/Raleigh Metropolitan Planning Organization
- West Virginia Region 4 Planning and Development Council
- West Virginia Region 1 Planning and Development Council
- New River Gorge Regional Development Authority
- The City of Mount Hope
- The City of Oak Hill
- The City of Fayetteville
View this link for the bus routes in Raleigh and Fayette counties; http://newrivertransitauthority.org/bus-schedules/
Ride to the bus stop, load up, and arrive at your destination. This can be helpful to get to the grocery store, a job interview, the pharmacy, or to access the regions plentiful trails. Let us know if you use the racks by tagging #activeswv.
“I was apprehensive at first on the rack obstructing my view and adding time to stops with loading and unloading bikes, but the rack is neither in my view nor time intensive to load,” Rex Shephard, bus driver for New River Transit Authority.
The bike rack frame, wheel trays, and support arms have been designed to reduce bounce while the rack footprint is minimized for better vehicle turn radius, less turn signal and headlight interference and improved safety. This innovative 2 position bike rack is the new standard for bike racks on buses. Modified wheel trays accommodate a large array of bikes with up to 29″ diameter wheels, 3″ wide tires and a 48″ wheelbase.
Community member Jay said: “I have organized bike clubs and bicycle advocacy in other cities. This is really exciting to see in the Beckley area and I believe the bike racks will increase the bus use. I look forward to attending the Beckley BPAC meetings.”
“I personally worked on a similar project in Charleston 15 years ago. The project was successful in purchasing 51 bike racks for the KVRTA buses. Usage on these racks have exceeded expectations and are used year round. I see no reason why it would not be just as popular for the New River Transit Authority buses,” stated Dennis Strawn, President, WV Connecting Communities.
Contact our office to learn more about biking, advocacy, and improving access to physical activity. (304) 254-8488 or [email protected]
Active SWV has been working with the City of Beckley in forming a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, BPAC. The purpose of this committee is to assess bicycle and pedestrian accommodations and determine ways to improve their safety and accessibility.
