A $168,000 grant appears to be headed to Duluth Traverse, a mountain bike trail system in Duluth, Minnesota, which would help build a fleet of mountain bikes. The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC) recommended the grant through the Minnesota Parks and Trails Legacy Fund and is expected to clear state legislature, according to the Star Tribune. Spirit Mountain, a Minnesota recreational ski and mountain bike trail area, is also expected to receive $1.25 million to expand its snowmobile and mountain bike trails.
The Duluth Traverse money would be utilized for a fleet of mountain bikes and a trailer to transport them to youth centers around Duluth and would provide better access in areas that typically have not had great access to trails or mountain biking. A press release from the GMRPTC notes the grant criteria emphasize projects with the potential for “increasing access [to the outdoors] for underserved and communities of color, enhancing handicap accessibility, transportation and programming.”
The Duluth Traverse grant would cover 53 bikes, as well as a lessons which could eventually turn the students into instructors. The City of Duluth Parks and Recreation department would receive, store, and maintain the fleet.
The Traverse is a multi-use trail system which links neighborhoods to different parks throughout the city. There is about 40 miles of trail from point to point and the system is managed by the Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS). The Traverse is rated for beginners and intermediate riders and passes through different neighborhoods and parks.
19 other parks were selected for grants out of a total $12.2 million fund. The mountain bike fleet is anticipated to be ready in the spring of 2023.
