PICKENS — The cities of Pickens, Easley and Liberty are exploring teaming up to boost the area’s economy through biking.

Pickens City Administrator Katherine Brackett told Pickens City Council that representatives from each city recently met with officials from SORBA — the Southeast Off-Road Bicycle Association.

Brackett said that SORBA officials told municipal representatives that if the cities work together, the project would have a greater chance of obtaining grant funding.

The partnership, if approved by the cities’ councils, would create the PELCOR, short for Pickens, Easley, Liberty Corridor, Brackett said.

Formal resolutions making the partnership official should be drafted soon, Brackett said.

Pickens City officials are looking at creating “ride gardens” using Town Creek Trail to create trails for mountain biking and mountain boarding, said Pickens City Councilman Patrick Lark.

SORBA can help the city design trails and obtain grant funding, he said.

Officials hope that Pickens, Easley and Liberty can at some point link their bike trails together — and hope to one day link up with Greenville’s Swamp Rabbit Trail, the 13.55-mile biking and walking trail that connects Greenville to Traveler’s Rest.

“I don’t think people realize how big the economic impact of bicycling can be,” Lark said.

One town in British Columbia saw bicyclists bring a $16-million economic impact to their town over a three-year period, he said.

Pickens Mayor David Owens said the city could explore creating bike trails along the path of old railroad lines.

The Pickens Planning and Steering Commitee is slated to meet again Monday, August 30.

Pickens City Council will not hold their meeting August 16. A meeting may be called later this month if needed.

In other news:

Council approved on second reading a change to the city’s zoning ordinance.

The change calls for annexing South Carolina Department of Transportation right of ways into the city whenever the city annexes property into Pickens.

“Whenever we annex those properties in, we automatically annex those SCDOT easements and rightof ways in,” Owens said. “That helps us cover the roads.”

Council unanimously approved the zoning ordinance. Councilwoman Patti Welborn was absent.

High School football season will officially kick off with a Jamboree 6:30 p.m. Friday, August 13 at Pickens High School.

All teams will play a 30-minute quarter.