2025 Impact Report: Building Trails, Connecting Neighbors, Strengthening Communities

A summary of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition’s 2025 Impact Report. For the full interactive report, see the presentation above.

At the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC), we believe bicycles and trails are tools of connection, joy, and transformation. Our mission is to lead the development of an innovative regional movement that places trails, bicycling, walking, and active transportation infrastructure at the core of inclusive, vibrant, and healthy communities. We envision communities alive with human connection, where movement through place is authentic, joyful, and supported by both physical and social infrastructure.

The Coalition was formed in 2007 through the merger of two historic Shenandoah Valley bicycle clubs, building on a combined history of more than 40 years advancing safe biking and walking across the region.

2025 by the Numbers

Core Areas of Impact

1. Build and Maintain Trails

SVBC enhances access to and maintenance of trail systems including Massanutten, Seven Bends State Park, and the George Washington National Forest, in support of local outdoor economies. In 2025 we launched a Common Ground Trails Collaborative survey with local organizations to improve public land connections, and continued work on beginner-friendly paths connecting to the Massanutten Mountain National Recreation Trail, set to open in spring 2026. We also advocate for protected infrastructure — safe bike lanes and sidewalks — including routes like the Friendly City Trail and the Northend Greenway.

2. Advocate for Safe, Connected Communities

The Coalition engages local governments to secure funding and support for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, from regional planning meetings to public workshops. In 2025 we again hosted our Bike-Walk Summit in collaboration with the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, bringing together city, county, and regional stakeholders to align on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure priorities.

3. Expand Mobility and Access through Bikes for Neighbors

Through the Bikes for Neighbors program, SVBC provides reliable bikes, gear, and mobility support to neighbors facing transportation barriers. Youth and family programs include the Great Stokesville Campout, partnerships with local Parks and Recreation departments, the ShenRock Mountain Bike Team, and JOYRIDE, which creates pathways for women and girls into mountain biking. Volunteers are the backbone of this work — in 2025 alone, volunteers logged over 1,776 hours across projects.

Western Slope Progress

Over 1,000 Western Slope recreationists and community members shaped the Massanutten Western Slope Master Trail Plan through a community survey, asking for better navigation, more beginner access, improved trail flow, and space for riders of every level. SVBC has mapped out more than 30 miles of potential new trail with Massanutten Resort, and launched Phase 1 in 2025, including a New Beginner Loop and an Intermediate+ Flow Trail. The Western Slope now spans 33 miles of trail across more than 800 mountainous acres, sustained by a dedicated volunteer trail team and the ShenRock youth mountain bike program (made possible by 35 volunteer coaches).

Success and Wins

2025 marked year two of an expanded full-time staff team, with Amanda Presgraves (Director of Community Enchantment) and Ben Wyse (Bikes for Neighbors Program Coordinator) growing the Coalition’s capacity to sustain and scale its programs. SVBC also launched an official community and business partnership program, welcoming 27 partners to advance trails, safe streets, and stronger communities, and deepened work with the U.S. Forest Service, Harrisonburg City Schools, the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, and other regional partners.

Fundraising Impact

44 monthly donors joined SVBC’s new Trailblazer sustaining-donor program in its inaugural year, with a goal of reaching 65 by January 2026. Campaigns like the Great Community Give and Giving Tuesday raised more than $60,000 from individuals and businesses, and the Coalition secured over $500,000 in grant funding supporting projects like Sunset Park Trails, Connect Our Schools, and the Western Slope Master Trails Plan. Grants are the largest single source of Coalition support, with the remainder coming from individual giving, Western Slope trail passes, event revenue, membership contributions, and raffle proceeds. 88% of program and operating expenses go directly to program services, with 6% to administration and 6% to development.

What’s Next: 2026 Plans

Looking ahead to 2026, SVBC is advancing several transformative projects: expanding Bikes for Neighbors (with support from the Just Pax Fund) to reach 100 more participants; building out Phase 1 of the Massanutten Western Slope Trail Plan with a Climbing Trail to Ravine and new Jump/Flow Trail; breaking ground on new trails connecting Seven Bends State Park to the George Washington National Forest, funded by SVBC’s fifth Virginia Recreational Trails Program grant; continuing work on the Shenandoah Rail Trail, which the Virginia General Assembly has allocated $35 million to develop; and adding three new miles of trail at Sunset Park in Waynesboro, a former landfill transformed into a hub for outdoor recreation.

Frequently Asked Questions