The Roanoke Region has a great number of biking organizations help people enjoy cycling. Whether riding on greenways, mountain bike trails, gravel roads, or city streets there are groups to help you ride better, ride more often, and ride with others.
As an advocacy group, PedalSafe Roanoke wants to serve all of the cycling community and help bring people together to make riding safer for everyone. As we work with and partner with other organizations, expect to see more here.
Greenways
The Roanoke Greenway Commission is a joint effort of the cities of Roanoke and Salem and Roanoke county. The Commission develops greenways that are maintained by the member jurisdictions.
Many greenway expansions are planned and listed in the local Transportation Improvement Program. Major planned expansions include connections to Explore Park in Roanoke county and Green Hill Park in Salem. The Tinker Creek Greenway would connect the Roanoke River Greenway to Carvins Cove and Hollins University.
The Greenways Commission adopted its most recent plan in 2018 and has updated its plan every ten years, more or less.
City of Roanoke
The city of Roanoke has made biking and walkable neighborhoods key priorities in order to improve quality of life. By investing in greenways, streetscapes, and using repaving to improve crosswalks, curb ramps, and bike facilities the city has built attractive and safe places for people to get outdoors.
Roanoke has a goal of building 1-2 miles of bike lanes each year in its city budget. In 2021, the city built 3 miles of bike lanes.
Roanoke recently conducted a sidewalk pavement quality assessment and has not set a goal for sidewalk performance that aligns with that assessment in its city budget. The current listing of requested curb and sidewalk projects totals $22 million.
Roanoke recently hired the city’s first Complete Streets and Vision Zero Coordinator. This new position is a significant investment in improving the capacity to plan and deliver projects that improve safety for all modes of transportation, including biking and walking.
Roanoke Valley and Allegheny Regional Commission
The Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission (RVARC) is a regional planning organization that serves as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the city of Roanoke and surrounding jurisdictions. Federally funded transportation projects are funded through MPOs making the RVARC important for building a safer Roanoke.
The RVARC has a Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee serves as a forum for updates from cities, towns, and counties that are members of the RVARC.
The RVARC has created several bicycle and pedestrian plans. For most jurisdictions that are members of the RVARC, including the city of Roanoke, the only bicycle or pedestrian plan they have comes from the RVARC. The last RVARC bicycle plan was adopted in 2012 and a new one is due soon.
Ride Solutions
Ride Solutions is a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) agency. TDM is the practice of facilitating more efficient and lower emissions transportation options. TDM agencies provide services to the public, partner with private companies and organizations, and promote biking, walking, and transit.
Blue Ride Off-Road Cyclists (BROC)
The Blue Ridge Off-Road Cyclists (BROC) is an International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) chapter that builds and maintains mountain bike trails. The trail development of BROC is a major reason that Virginia’s Blue Ridge is the East Coast’s only IMBA Silver Level ride center.
Pathfinders for Greenways
Pathfinders for Greenways was incorporated in 1997 to be a non-profit organization to involve citizens in development of the greenway network. Pathfinders provides a forum for involvement of volunteers, coordination of work days, greenway promotional events, and fundraising. They donate 3-5,000 hours of volunteer service each year, have purchased over $60,000 worth of trail building equipment, and bought and donated the Hinchee Trail to Roanoke County in 2019.
Valley Metro
Roanoke Valley Metro provides fixed route bus and on-demand transit to the city of Roanoke and parts of Roanoke county, Salem, and Vinton. Buses are equipped with bike racks that will hold two bikes. Bike parking is not generally available at bus stops.
Star City Cycling
Star City Cycling is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to the growth of youth cycling. They have a youth club team that participates in three seasons, Spring, Summer, and Fall, for boys and girls ages 8 to 18.
Roanoke Valley Devo
Roanoke Valley Devo is a co-ed mountain bike team for kids ages nine to eighteen. They participate in a spring season for all riders and National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) riders continue through October.
Roanoke Valley Riveters
The Roanoke Valley Riveters are building a community of awesome women who love mountain biking. Organized through Facebook, Instagram, and word of mouth the Riveters stress inclusion and empowerment, with a weekly Wednesday ride at 5:45 at Carvins Cove from the Bennett Springs parking lot and other events.