CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston is now designating itself as “Bike City USA.”
The Capital City is electing for the additional nickname thanks mainly to the recent success the city saw when hosting the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships.
The championships, which took place in May, generated an estimated $4.6 million in economic impact during the four days of races. The city also saw visitor spending increase by 22% during that four-day window.
Charleston will continue hosting the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships for the next four years, with the race serving as an Olympic-qualifying event.
Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO Tim Brady says the name designation will only grow enthusiasm for the expansion of biking in Charleston.
Tim Brady
“This ‘Bike City USA’ designation that we’ve established is our way of harnessing that enthusiasm for the next four years,” Brady says. “We have this platform of hosting this national championship event four more years and we wanted to take advantage of that, and what better way than to market our city as a cycling destination?”
Brady also says the fifth year Olympic-qualifying race gives the city and edge when trying to attract bikers from all over.
“Getting us to Olympic cycles just means that we have this really incredible national and international platform to showcase Charleston as a biking destination,” Brady said.
Outside of tangible data showing the championships were an economic success for the city, the feedback from USA Cycling turned out to be positive. Brady says the the organization appreciates Charleston’s ability to fully host the event without additional towns being needed for support.
“Charleston was one of the first times, if not the first time, that they were able to run all the components of the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships in one city’s city limits,” Brady said. “All of it, the time trial, the criteria and the road race all took place within the city limits of Charleston and that doesn’t happen in other places.”
Brady says, outside of just the race, Charleston offers a unique biking adventure for non-professional mountain bikers.
“It’s the combination of the different disciplines of cycling that you find in a very small radius,” Brady said.
Charleston will also soon be better equipped to accommodate casual biking for those not wanting to dabble into mountain biking.
The Capital Connector project, which has an estimated implementation phase set for this summer, will enhance the city’s riverfront area and make areas more walkable/bikeable by widening trails, enhancing lighting and signage, and updating crosswalks.
The project, which is being funded by a $25 million federal RAISE grant, will start at Magic Island on the city’s West Side and will stretch three miles to the base of the 35th Street Bridge. The Capital Connector will also gear towards walkers, runners and bikers with the installation of more public restrooms.
Brady says the project will be friendly to all casual bikers and will provide great views.
“It takes this beautiful riverfront and creates this walkable, jogable, bikeable path with beautiful vistas of the Kanawha River, and makes it friendly to someone who is an entry-level biker or jogger or even walker. It creates this path that is visually attractive and it’s safe,” Brady said.