Promoting Cycling And Cycling Safety on the Natchez Trace Parkway

The Gary Holdiness Cycling Fund was established under the Natchez Trace Parkway Association to honor the memory of Dr. Gary Holdiness by perpetuating his love for cycling the Natchez Trace Parkway and to make it a safe environment for cyclists.

The Association worked for the past 6 years with the Natchez Trace Parkway to study a number of proposals to make the parkway a safer riding environment for cyclists. The funds raised helped finance projects approved by the parkway to increase motorists' awareness of cyclists, as well as promote projects to encourage cycling on the parkway.

Dr. Gary Holdiness of Kosciusko, Mississippi was an avid cyclist, who combined his love for the sport with a passion for the Natchez Trace Parkway. He spent numerous hours on the parkway finding relaxation from his medical practice and encouraging others to enjoy the park as a national treasure. While riding on the parkway in 2012, Dr. Holdiness lost his life due to an accident involving an automobile. His family and friends created the Gary Holdiness Cycling Fund to continue his work of promoting the recreational use of the parkway and to make it a safer environment for others.

CYCLING SAFETY PILOT PROGRAM

Natchez Trace Cycling is working in collaboration with the National Park Service and Adventure Cycling Association to determine methods to make experiencing the park safer for cyclists and motorists.

The program currently includes the following:

SIGNS AND SHARROWS

New signs and sharrows have been installed, and they are currently being studied to determine their effectiveness.

SAFETY TESTING

During the National Trails Conference in June, 2015, trail leaders, NPS personnel and volunteers participating in a safety study to determine the effectiveness of high visibility clothing and lights to make cyclists more visible.

The tests demonstrated the effectiveness of the new high visibility coral color for clothing. High visibility green (yellow) also stands out in most conditions; however, it sometimes blends with the yellows of the leaves in certain lighting conditions. Black, green, white, blue, and red were shown to blend into the horizon much sooner than high visibility coral.

We will soon begin testing the effectiveness of improving visibility with lighting. Blinking tail lights with a light of at least one-half watt helps improve visibility and clear head lights also improve visibility even in shadowed areas.

PUBLIC AWARENESS

With support of the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters, Public Service Announcements are being aired on television and radio stations in the State of Mississippi.

Natchez Trace Parkway Association, 2012-2018

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Contribute.

Donations to the fund are used to work with the Natchez Trace Parkway to promote cycling and cycling safety, including studying and improving cycling safety on the road.

Click on the "Donate" button below or at the top of the page. You will be redirected to PayPal where you can donate with your PayPal account or a debit or credit card. If you have any problems in the donation process, please contact us.

You may also mail a check to:

Natchez Trace Cycling
P.O. Box 242
Kosciusko, MS 39090

Please make the check payable to "Natchez Trace Cycling".

2. Contact Us About Sponsoring A Ride.

We are working with cycling clubs to create special rides to raise awareness about the presence of cyclists on the parkway and ways to improve safety.

For more information you may contact us by telephone:

662-739-0915

or email us:

natcheztracecycling@yahoo.com

3. Wear Our T-shirt.

Contact us at natcheztracecycling@yahoo.com to find out how to get our t-shirt and spread the message about the importance of sharing the road with cyclists.