Blue Ridge Bicycle Club commits $10,000 to Ecusta Trail

From the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club

Press release

The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club announced that they have reserved $10,000 for the proposed Ecusta Trail, with $5,000 representing Transylvania County and $5,000 representing Henderson County. “These funds come from a combination of sources; the Fletcher Flyer, our annual fund-raising ride, donations, and member dues and contributions,” explained Joe Sanders, Blue Ridge Bicycle Club President. “Data shows that most people want to ride a bike, and that they did ride bicycles when they were young. Unfortunately, people do not feel safe biking on the narrow roads in Henderson and Transylvania Counties. The Ecusta Trail will offer the perfect opportunity for people to become more active and in a safe environment.”

The Ecusta Trail is the proposed 19-mile rail trail that will connect Hendersonville, Laurel Park, Horse Shoe, Etowah, Pisgah Forest, and Brevard. Representatives of the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club will work with the Friends of the Ecusta Trail, whose mission is to promote the Trail and a local network of multi-use trails, to ensure the funds are used appropriately. The funds will remain in the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club treasury until planning and construction on the Ecusta Trail commences.

Additional information about the Ecusta Trail: The trail is called the “Ecusta Trail” in recognition of the importance of the Ecusta Corporation in the history of the region. “Ecusta” is a name that honors the continuity of the impact of the rail line, as well as the many residents of the area whose lives have been tied to the name “Ecusta” for a lifetime. One end of the rail trail is proposed to be within the vicinity of an historic area in Transylvania County – the site of the former Ecusta paper mill. This mill was one of the reasons for the existence of the rail line, and was the primary economic driver of Brevard and surrounding towns during the 20th Century. Ecusta commenced operation in 1939. The Ecusta plant closed in 2002 and the rail line has not been needed for freight service since that closure. After the closure of the mill, Brevard and Transylvania County reinvented itself as a destination for tourism, including for outdoor recreation activities and have recently become known as the “Cycling Capital of the South.”

Further support for the Ecusta Trail has been shown recently when the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization approved the 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan [MTP] during their meeting on September 24, 2015. Listed within the Bicycle & Pedestrian section is Phase I of the Ecusta Trail. Phase I of the Trail will start in Hendersonville and continue to Laurel Park with a NCDOT funding level of $2,141,000. This is a very important step for the Ecusta Trail for a number of reasons; first, as a part of NCDOT’s long-range plan it makes the Ecusta Trail open for potential funding grants in addition to DOT funds. Secondly, NCDOT recognizes the Ecusta Trail as a recreational and alternative transportation source for Henderson County. (see map below)

About Blue Ridge Bicycle Club
The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club is an all volunteer 501 (c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to promote healthy and fun lifestyles through cycling in Western North Carolina. For more information about the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, please visit www.blueridgebicycleclub.org or call 828-243-6732.