Signs on U.S. Bicycle Routes Coming Soon

May 7, 2013

Later this week, we'll be announcing the newly approved designations of multiple U.S. Bicycle Routes. New routes are exciting, and so is the fact that there are multiple states working on getting new U.S. Bike Routes signed.

Minnesota: The Minnesota Department of Transportation, along with their state partners, will be signing the future USBRS 45 with MRT signs, with plans to integrate the official USBR 45 signs in the future.

Missouri: The Missouri DOT has the green light to sign USBR 76/TransAm over the summer. With this complete, cyclists will enjoy USBR 76 signs through most of Virginia, in Pike County, KY, and the entire state of Missouri. That’s progress!

Michigan: Plans are well underway to sign Michigan’s section of USBR 20 (which follows much of the Lake Erie Connector). This signing project is a bit complex. Michigan’s Department of Transportation has agreed to sign the route where it follows state highways. Some cities, counties, and businesses have stepped up to sign their sections. For the remaining sections, volunteer Kerry Irons is working with the local jurisdictions to place signs using a very generous matching grant from the DALMAC Fund (a program of the Tri County Bicycle Association) and the Tri City Cyclists bicycle club and Friends of the Pere Marquette Rail Trail. Though there will be gaps, Kerry has identified the most important sections of the route through counties and jurisdictions that have agreed to allow signs. Over time, we hope to see the route signed in totality.

Maine: The DOT is working with advocates on a plan to place signs along all 532 miles of USBR 1. Where the route is co-aligned with the East Coast Greenway (ECG), both USBR 1 signs and ECG signs will be posted. There is not yet word on when the signs will go up, but getting a plan in place is the first big step. 

Imagine taking a bicycle trip and only periodically glancing at your map to check for services in the area. Signed bicycle routes will allow cyclists the freedom to ride with the assurance that they are on the route. Signs will notify motorists to be watchful and mindful of cyclists, and to share the road. Stay tuned for more big news later this week as we announce the new U.S. Bicycle Routes approved at AASHTO's Spring Meeting held earlier this week.

USBR 76 sign courtesy of Adventure Cycling

Photo 1 of MRT sign courtesy of Arlen Hall

Photo 2 of Kentucky USBR 7 sign courtesy of Mike Weingarten

Photo 3 of Michigan USBR 20 by Scott Anderson

Photo 4 of Maine lighthouse by Tony Barret

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BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM is posted by the Travel Initiatives Department and focuses on news related to the emerging  U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). 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.