A new community bicycle safety program is underway in Wood County working to make it safer for those who prefer to pedal around the region. The Wood County Alternative Transportation Council, part of the Wood County Commission, is working to raise awareness about the importance of bicycle safety between cyclists and motorists.

“We are able to do this thanks to the partnership that the Commission formed with the PACF,” said Lloyd Roberts, Chair of the Wood County Alternative Transportation Council. “We’re all local volunteers and establishing a fund with PACF was the best option for us. The PACF folks have been great, helping us through the legal issues, helping us establish the fund, recordkeeping, and basically ‘spoon feeding’ us through our first fundraiser, Give Local MOV.”

Thanks to the new Wood County Trails Fund established at the Foundation by the Wood County Commission in February 2016, the Council now has a structure it can use to fulfill its mission. The Council raised $4,000 through Give Local MOV on May 1, 2017, all which will be used to support the Program. The campaign highlights West Virginia’s bike safety laws that require drivers to allow a three-foot clearance when overtaking cyclists.

“We want both cyclists and motorists to feel comfortable out on the road,” said Roberts. “In addition to this Program, we are working on other projects to make Wood County bike friendly, including installing bicycle racks in the region.”