By ADAM ATKINSON

CANTON -- The village is sending a letter of intent to obtain a grant from People for Bikes for the purchase and installation of a bike shelter and rack.

The Board of Trustees heard a proposal about the bike shelter from trustee Klaus Proemm at their meeting Tuesday, Jan. 16. Proemm said the shelter and rack installation would run about $3,600, and that the grant could offer up to $10,000. The trustee said he and economic development director Leigh Rodriguez were looking at obtaining the grant for the full cost, however he would be requesting funding from the North Country Community Fund and he said a village contribution of $500 towards the project may help in securing the grant from People for Bikes.

Rodriguez said the grant was fairly competitive and the village would have to write a letter of intent by Friday, Jan. 18, to apply for it. If approved the grant would be available in April.

“It seems like a very good investment to me,” said Trustee Sean O’Brien. “Anything that promotes biking in the village.”

Carol Pynchon, deputy village mayor, asked if the village contribution could be in the form of in-kind services for the installation. During discussion, Mayor Michael Dalton said the village could probably find the $500 in the budget for the contribution if the grant was secured.

Proemm said the shelter would be installed on Main Street between Community Bank and the old McDonald’s building. Proemm said the bank seemed to be in support of the installation and the board discussed if the bank may possibly contribute to the effort as well.

Trustee Beth Bullock Larrabee suggested that the board do two installations if they could secure the full $10,000 grant.

People for Bikes is a biking advocacy group which includes an industry coalition of bicycling suppliers and retailers and a charitable foundation. The group claims to have invested $2.1 million in community cycling projects, and leveraged more than $654 million in federal, state and private funding for groups and governments to promote safe bicycling.

For more information about People for Bikes, visit www.peopleforbikes.org.