BHSU awarded Coeur Wharf Fund grant to advance bicycle transportation

Black Hills State University received a $13,000 grant from the Goldcorp Coeur Wharf Sustainable Prosperity Fund. The funds will be used to support the Bike Spearfish! program including bike signage for the City of Spearfish, a bike maintenance center downtown, and training of community members as League Cycling Instructors.

Spearfish Bike Week may be winding down but commitment to bicycling is revving up, thanks to the recent award of a Coeur Wharf Fund grant to Black Hills State University.

BHSU received a $13,000 grant from the Goldcorp Coeur Wharf Sustainable Prosperity Fund. The funds will be used to support the Bike Spearfish! program including bike signage for the City of Spearfish along with a bike maintenance center downtown, bike racks, and bike corrals.

Petrika Peters, sustainability coordinator at BHSU, said the University is working with the City of Spearfish, local nonprofit Hills Horizon, and the Spearfish Bicycle Co-Op to advance active living through cycling. Peters said the City of Spearfish will donate labor for installation and financial support for roadway signage.

"We sincerely thank the Coeur Wharf Fund for their support. Through this grant we'll work with our partners to add a core bicycle street route in Spearfish, safe routes to school, and recreational path signage," said Peters. "We're also increasing bicycle parking and adding a downtown maintenance center for quick tune-ups."

Peters said the Wharf grant will also provide an opportunity to train 20 community members in a Traffic Safety 101 Course and three people will be trained as League Cycling Instructors (LCI). The LCI's will teach a minimum of 12 hours per year building a knowledge base within Spearfish leading to active, healthier lifestyles for residents.

Tony Auld, operations manager at Coeur Wharf who also serves on the Wharf Fund board, said the purpose of the Wharf Fund is to help establish sustainable communities for future generations to enjoy.

"It's fun to read a grant request application and get excited about what the organization is going to achieve. When it's a Black Hills program that fulfills all four of the Wharf Fund's Core Values, it's kind of a no-brainer," said Auld.

South Dakota currently ranks 38th in the nation for bikeability. With support from Coeur Wharf, BHSU aims to change that.

"An aspect I liked about the Bike Spearfish! program was seeing how many groups and stakeholders are coming together to make this project happen," said Auld. "I think that is a clear example of teamwork within a community."