Who are We? What do we do?

We’re a 501c-3 non-profit organization that relies solely on generous grants and donations.

We are determined not to ask the local business community for funding.

Our goal is to increase cyclo-tourism in the North Country and help make cycling more accessible and safer while educating cyclists and drivers.

Here are some of the things that we’ve done to date:

• Built this great website to bring all the cycling and its supporting resources in the North Country together
• Over a two year period posted almost 200 bike etiquette signs in businesses and community bulletin boards (check it out at the bottom of the home page)
• Distributed 6,000 bike etiquette placemats for various restaurants to use
• Provided bike safety training and bike rodeos to hundreds of kids in area schools
• Distributed bike helmets and lights to those that don’t have them
• Received donated bikes that others don’t want and got them refurbished and into the community to kids and adults that otherwise can’t afford them or can’t drive
• Developed and distributed 6,000 maps of the trails, and road and gravel routes in the area – don’t have one yet? Let us know and we’ll mail one to you
• Worked with Towns and we’re getting four speed feedback signs to help slow traffic
• Worked with the DOT to expand roads and re-line them to make the breakdown lanes larger for cyclists
• Working with the DOT to replace the expansion joist in the route 302 bridge by the Wayside Inn in Bethlehem. It was built incorrectly creating a serious danger to cyclists. They’ve ordered a new one and will replace it when it comes in!
• In conjunction with the North Country Council, we initiated a traffic calming exercise in Bethlehem which will then be used in other towns as well to help slow traffic through the downtown areas
• Developed a “no rider left behind” program

What are we working on?

There are many projects that are on-going, but here’s a smattering of some of them:

• We continue to work with the DOT to fix road issues. For example, when they repave, they add several inches of tar, but don’t raise the grates causing significant issues for cyclists in the breakdown lanes. We’re working together to come up with a change to their process to ensure this doesn’t continue
• Working with the DOT on safer railroad crossings – especially the one on Route 302 by the Mt Washington hotel!
• We plan to buy up to 66 loaner bikes over the next several years and make them available to residents and visitors at no cost
• And through generous grants, we’re buying a trailer to move up to 20 bikes around at a time!
• We are developing kiosk signs for trail heads and Town cycling hubs to show trail, road and gravel routes as well as supporting resources
• We are buying multiple more public repair and pump stands so a rider will never be too far from one if they’re in need
• We’re also buying a plethora of new bike racks to ensure there’s one convenient anywhere you want to ride
• We’re going to buy and install signs along 100 miles of roads to make cycling safer on the roads
• We will also install either bike lanes or sharrows through the downtown areas as well as trail crossing markings where trails cross the roads. Signs will be installed along with all road markings
• We’re working with the Dept of Safety to revamp the Driver’s Ed manual and the driver’s written exam to be more bike inclusive.
• We’re also starting a process to introduce legislation to enable Towns to set speed limits. Right now the State sets limits based on a speed formula that almost always prevents speeds from being reduced.

Bike the North country is a collaborative community network of the Tri-Town area of Bethlehem, Littleton and Franconia including 100 miles of great trails to experience.