After three years of planning, fundraising, volunteering and hard work, the Richmond Regional Ride Center is now open. State and regional officials gathered in Chesterfield’s Pocahontas State Park earlier this morning to dedicate the new trail system, a legacy project of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. The RRRC (which includes the James River Park System in addition to the new Pocahontas SP trails) offers more than 70 miles of mountain biking trails across Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield County and the City of Richmond.

Partners include Chesterfield County, Dominion Virginia Power, the James River Park System, MeadWestvaco, Paralyzed Veterans of America, People for Bikes, Richmond 2015, RVA MORE, Friends of Pocahontas State Park, the International Mountain Biking Association, the UCI Road World Championships, the Virginia Association for Parks, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Chesterfield Rotary Club and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, which manages Virginia State Parks.

“Ride Center” is a designation of the International Mountain Biking Association for a mountain biking trail system that offers opportunities for all skill levels, from beginner to expert. The RRRC also includes trails for handcyclists.

Volunteers pose for a picture along some of the new Pocahontas State Park singletrack. Credit: Friends of Pocahontas SP

“We improved 15 miles of trails and oversaw the construction of 20 miles of new trails in the park,” said DCR State Parks Director Craig Seaver. “We’re in the outdoor recreation business, and we’re particularly proud to play a pivotal role in this important project. We hope this will help people in the Richmond region know that they are much closer to a Virginia State Park than they might think.”

The RRRC is expected to stimulate the local economy by attracting more bike riders to the region. Economic projections call for $4.5 million in tourism spending in Virginia, with $2.7 million in Chesterfield County.

Richmond Region Ride Center Economic Impact

Virginia

Economic activity: $4.5 million

Labor income: $1.5 million

Tax revenue: $369,452

Jobs: 51

Chesterfield County

Economic activity: $2.7 million

Labor income: $867,679

Tax revenue: $212,360

Jobs: 31