BOULDER, CO (BRAIN) — REI has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Bikes Belong Foundation to expand its Green Lane Project.

The Green Lane Project is in six focus cities – Austin, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Memphis, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; and Washington, D.C. – to help develop green lanes, which are dedicated bike lanes with physical separations from motorized traffic.

The REI award will be used to fund Green Lane Project grants in each of the six focus cities. Grant recipients must engage their local REI store in the project and provide a clear plan for measuring success.

"Thanks to REI’s support, we will be able to demonstrate the many benefits that come to a city when it invests in safe, accessible bicycle infrastructure,” said Bruno Maier, senior vice president of Bikes Belong. “The Green Lane Project is transforming many communities and shining a light on how bicycling helps create vibrant urban neighborhoods.”

A Bikes Belong study last year found there were 102 green lanes in 32 U.S. cities, with an additional 100 green lanes planned for 2013.

Source: bicycleretailer.com