CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Imagine starting a bike ride on the Towpath Trail and pedaling all the way to Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C. or even Atlanta.

A new frontier is opening for bike travel. A growing network of designated routes is being pieced together across the nation along low-traffic roads, trails and bike lanes by the same association that designates Interstate highway numbers. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) established the U.S. Bicycle Route System in 1978. However, it’s only recently begun to take shape.

Eighteen new bike routes in five states have recently been designated, adding nearly 3,000 miles to the U.S. Bicycle Route System, a developing complex of officially recognized, publicly-accessible travel paths across the country. The latest routes — in California, Indiana, Ohio, Utah, and Washington State — represent the largest addition to the bike network to date, both in number and total mileage. 

Just as Northwest Arkansas capitalized on built-in advantages to become a mecca for mountain biking, officials both public and private think Central Arkansas and the Delta could benefit from road cycling’s rising popularity. And in the case of USBR 80, the allure of cycle touring.

OHIO - Did you know that Ohio has a strategic statewide bicycling network?
It’s called the State and US Bike Route System (S/USBR), and it’s made up of more than 3,000 miles of on- and off-road bike facilities that connect over 400 communities across the state.

WASHINGTON – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Adventure Cycling Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing their longtime partnership to expand the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) for a seamless travel experience across the United States.

Carlsbad, CA is the latest city to approve designation for the 1,000-mile USBR 95 along the Pacific Coast.

Communities in Iowa are starting to rally behind the state's first U.S. Bicycle Route. 

The Lancaster City Council unanimously supported the designation of U.S. Bicycle Route 85 through California, and plans to improve the bike lanes which the route follows.

U.S. Bicycle Route 235 will connect Indianapolis to Seymour, Indiana. 

With the city of Arcata signing on to designate U.S. Bicycle Route 95 along the California coast, nearly half of all jurisdictions have indicated support for this iconic route!

"Cave Country Trails believes getting a U.S. bike route would lure more adventure tourists to the area." The group finalized work on the 110-mile U.S. Bicycle Route 23 in Kentucky, which now awaits official approval from AASHTO.

U.S. Bicycle Route 66 is breathing life back into small communities along the "Mother Road." CityLab takes a look at what the designation means for Missouri and Kansas, and the effort to connect the route across the country.

In Lorain County, Ohio, community members see their connection to the U.S. Bicycle Route System as a way to highlight all the cycling opportunities in town and in the region.

Erie, Pennsylvania is celebrating the designations of U.S. Bicycle Routes 30 and 36, and using the new routes as a framework to build a local network of bicycle routes. 

The Northern Maine Development Commission is in the final stages of designating a new U.S. Bicycle Route. When complete, the new route will connect to existing USBR 1 and to La Route Verte in Canada.

On Sunday, June 17, supporters of U.S. Bicycle Route 66 gathered in Joplin, Missouri for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the route's official designation. 

With the unanimous support from the community of Baraboo, U.S. Bicycle Route 30 in Wisconsin moves closer to the finish line.

In Louisiana, advocates for U.S. Bicycle Route 90 are slowly making progress toward designation.