Okay everyone, let's back up and review.

Description
The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a proposed national network of bicycle routes. For a route to be officially designated a U.S. Bicycle Route, it must connect two or more states, a state and an international border, or other U.S. Bicycle Routes.

U.S. Bicycle Routes are intended to link urban, suburban, and rural areas using a variety of appropriate facilities. These routes are nominated for numbered designation by State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and are catalogued by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) through the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (the same committee that assigns numbers to U.S. highways and interstates)


History
Two U.S. Bicycle Routes were established in 1982 (map graphic left); U.S. Bike Route 1 in Virginia and North Carolina (established, in part, on the Atlantic Coast Route) and U.S. Bike Route 76 in Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois (established on the TransAmerica Trail). After these two routes were designated, no additional routes were nominated.

In 2003, an effort to reinvigorate the U.S. Bicycle Route System began when AASHTO formed a Task Force on U.S. Bicycle Routes. The Task Force is made up of transportation agency staff, federal highway administration, and bicycling organizations, including Adventure Cycling Association (who began providing staff support to the project in 2005). We quickly began working on developing a map called the National Corridor Plan. The first phase was to get a picture of what already existed (see Inventory Map) and then begin defining numbered corridors for multiple cross-country routes that linked destinations, cities and transportation hubs.

In October, 2008, AASHTO's Board of Directors passed a resolution in support of the National Corridor Plan and the Task Force went to work on creating a new Application, completed in May, 2009.

Work on implementing the corridors into on-the-ground routes was ready to begin.

Status Today
With numerous states interested in implementing U.S. Bicycle Routes, Adventure Cycling Association continues to provide staff support to the project. My job is to provide technical assistance, coordination, and outreach to help move the process forward. I also spend much of my time building awareness and interest, both in the transportation sector and the cycling community.

In some cases the state transportation agencies are stepping forward and committing staff time to the project. However with state budget shortfalls and furloughs, I am also finding volunteer champions (or they are finding me!) to take on the projects on behalf of the DOT. Ultimately, the state DOT is responsible for the route, therefore, it must be a willing alliance or partnership.

What's Ahead
Applications for U.S. Bicycle Routes are accepted twice per year, at AASHTO's spring and fall meetings. I am hopeful we might see applications in 2010, but there is still much to do.

Who will be the early implementers? Florida and Georgia are working very hard in a joint effort. California is moving forward. I am meeting with Washington state next week! Michigan is defining two routes with two different volunteer efforts and Wisconsin is active as well. Then there's Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, North Dakota, Oregon, and others that are in some stage of effort. More states I haven't had a chance to actively work with yet include Tennessee, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana and Virginia, though I have made contact with many of them.

As I said, there's much to do.

Want to help? Go on to our Forums and read about state efforts and post your ideas. Or if you have expertise in route research, have worked with, or for, public agencies/government and have lots of time on your hands, send me a note. I'd love to put you to work.

photo credit unknown; map by Tom Robertson for Adventure Cycling Association

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BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM is posted twice per month by Ginny Sullivan, USBRS coordinator at Adventure Cycling, and features news and updates related to the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS project is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by a task force under the auspices of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Members of the task force include officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits like the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc.