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Found this item in an unlikely place:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/10/us-bicycle-rout.html
The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has been working with Adventure Cycling Association and several other organizations to develop a corridor-level plan for a national US bicycle routes system.
Attendees at the recent meeting of the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways (SCOH) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin received an update on the status of the bicycle routes system project. For the first phase, state and national bike routes and trails across the US were inventoried; now, the second phase is the drafting of the new corridor plan.
The goal of the plan is to develop recommended corridors (± 50 mile radius) where a route in a logical national system should exist.
There is a powerpoint here: http://www.transportation.org/sites/scoh/docs/SCOH%2007%20-%20USBRS.ppt
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Stupid question:
Does that mean they're thinking of making a bike path from one end of the country to the other, orr a long distance or what?
From 2nd slide of powerpoint (get openoffice.org to view it if you dont have msoffice around):
The Vision
To encourage the development of a coordinated system of US bicycle routes across the country.
The Task Force was charged with developing a recommended national systems-level or corridor-level plan for use in designating potential future US bicycle routes.
The rest of the presentation goes into several preexisting multi-state bike routes, then shows some proposed routes (with lots of national maps). It all looks VERY tentative/experimental, though.
Who do they envision using these routes, and for what purpose?
Based on what I've read about the development of the bike routes that go through Delaware, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina the intended use is for long distance touring cyclists and commuting cyclists. The routes are mainly on-road routes selected by picking lower volume roads that connect areas of interest in a relatively straight line. Because they are mainly on-road routes, and not all of those roads are actually low traffic roads, they are intended for cyclists skilled in traffic cycling (all of this is paraphrased from what I've read on those state's websites).
There is a plan/idea to complete a recreational trail that follows the Arizona Canal right of way from Tuscon to Phoenix to Lake Havasu at the California border. That would be a 336mi long trail that basically would provide an alternate to riding on I-10. It generally follows I-10. The biggest challenge as I see it is providing bypasses around the sections where the canal goes thru mountain tunnels and past pumping stations. The canal already has a closed to public dirt road along its length.
http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/trailNRT/CAP-AZ.html
See this map of the CAP:
http://alliance.la.asu.edu/maps/CAP.pdf
See this google maps link of a close up of the canal west of Phoenix, north of I-10, scroll along to follow the canal:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=central+arizona+project+canal&ie=UTF8&ll=33.579767,-113.146133&spn=0.028996,0.039911&t=k&z=15&om=1
Another map:
http://www.cap-az.com/Images/operations/main_map_large.jpg
Al
Stupid question:
Does that mean they're thinking of making a bike path from one end of the country to the other, orr a long distance or what?
in the 1980's the rhinocerous party in canada proposed building a sloping bike path from one end of the country to the other so citizens could (and this is directly from the campaign literature) 'coast to coast'
Having a proven route with guides available eases the burden on long distance touring. For example, I just drove from TN to NVa. Thought about it. 500 miles, more or less, Riding with the grades on the Interstate, I'd pretty easily do 80 miles / day without hurrying. So a trip up would be doable. But I don't have any interest in plotting a route, figuring out the support, etc. I really enjoyed Bikecentennial in 1976 - still have guidebooks! Just look for the next turn and enjoy the ride. Think that's what they're aiming for.
this is like a wet dream...but better.
Seems to me cross country is a pipe dream... lets work on "cross city" plans.
I think these things are possible if you take small bites out of it at a time. Case in point near my home is the C&O Canal/Allegheny Trail.
Welcome to the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile system of biking and hiking trails connecting Cumberland, MD and Pittsburgh, PA. The connection to the C & O Canal Towpath in Cumberland, MD was completed in 2006, creating a continuous non-motorized corridor, 316 miles long, from near Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. Seven trails are organized under the Allegheny Trail Alliance and includes the Montour Trail for a 52 mile branch to the Pittsburgh International Airport.
http://www.atatrail.org/
I've only ridden about 60 miles of the C&O, but I think it's a very cool idea that you can get from downtown Washington DC to Pittsburgh on trails.
Seems to me cross country is a pipe dream... lets work on "cross city" plans.
A "bike route" doesn't necessarily mean a seperated path. At least from what I've seen, when states define a "bike route" it's just posted signs on regular roads that guide you along.
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/BIKE/WEB/tour_routes.htm
http://www.deldot.gov/information/projects/bike_and_ped/bike_facilities/pages/maps.shtml
http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/traffic/safety/bicycle_routes.htm
This is a map of Arizona that rates all major roads for cycling. It includes coding for shoulder width, grade, narrow bridges, traffic volume, distances, rest areas, etc.
http://www.azbikeped.org/images/map%20side%201%20(3-03-06).pdf
I can see a map of the major routes across the US with similar coding being useful.
Al
A "bike route" doesn't necessarily mean a seperated path. At least from what I've seen, when states define a "bike route" it's just posted signs on regular roads that guide you along.
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/BIKE/WEB/tour_routes.htm
http://www.deldot.gov/information/projects/bike_and_ped/bike_facilities/pages/maps.shtml
http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/traffic/safety/bicycle_routes.htm
Big deal... putting up signs on roads that already exist that I can already use a map for. What a waste of money.
Now if the signs meant something to motorists... or these were isolated paths or there was something of actual value to cyclists... other than some photo opp for some politician... then I'd be all for it. But a sign that in effect means nothing... BFD.
This is nothing more than money wasted that could go for education, or PSAs or real paths or even maintenance for these very roads. Otherwise it is nothing more than a "feel good" project. Period.
Carve 2% out of the federal funds for roads and devote it to making good quality connecting wide paths through areas... well, then you have something. But this really does nothing. Its a boondoggle.
Big deal... putting up signs on roads that already exist that I can already use a map for. What a waste of money.
Now if the signs meant something to motorists... or these were isolated paths or there was something of actual value to cyclists... other than some photo opp for some politician... then I'd be all for it. But a sign that in effect means nothing... BFD.
This is nothing more than money wasted that could go for education, or PSAs or real paths or even maintenance for these very roads. Otherwise it is nothing more than a "feel good" project. Period.
Carve 2% out of the federal funds for roads and devote it to making good quality connecting wide paths through areas... well, then you have something. But this really does nothing. Its a boondoggle.
Well, it does something. It allows for easy touring throughout the state without needing to plot your own route or make your own maps. The signs certainly help with knowing when to turn without needing a cue sheet too. I like the idea. I've found the routes that PA, DE, and NC mapped out to be quite fun to ride on for the portions that I've had the pleasure of cycling.
Well, it does something. It allows for easy touring throughout the state without needing to plot your own route or make your own maps. The signs certainly help with knowing when to turn without needing a cue sheet too. I like the idea. I've found the routes that PA, DE, and NC mapped out to be quite fun to ride on for the portions that I've had the pleasure of cycling.
I did the bikecentenial routes in CA in 1981 with their flip chart maps; worked fine. There supposedly were signs posted, back in 1976, but they were mostly gone by '81. The roads still existed.
The signs were a waste of money.
I know the idea sounds sweet, but the reality is that it is nothing more than another PR job for someone. A photo op for some politician... There are better ways to spend limited bike funds.
If there were any commitment to improving these roads or paths because of the potential for cyclists to ride them, great, but the Power Point presentation just showed the effort is geared to make maps and put up signs. It's a "feel good" project with no real power or point.
Sorry, just can't get behind this one.
Now if there was a bicycle interstate project similar to the 1956 interstate project that created the auto freeway system we know today... well great. But it ain't gonna happen. Not in this country anyway.
The use of tax money does seem a bit of a stretch if the corridors get no physical support for use as bike highways. The Bikecentennial thing was private wasn't it?
Indeed the signs are often a joke. I see them on death trap roads pretty much unsuited to cycling.
Now a corridor with a scenic and high-speed option would be great. Along with regular sweeps for hazards. That would be a treat.
We in the car talk about the possibility of Interstate highway trails. I used to postulate the "Median Trail Conference" putting volunteers to work in making a hiking trail down those fine medians. Lots of camping spots etc. But using existing limited access corridors makes sense. I don't know that one for bikes only is going to fly. Perhaps a parallel 8 ft wide system open to 49 cc scooters and bicycles would work. Especially as we run out of gasoline.
The use of tax money does seem a bit of a stretch if the corridors get no physical support for use as bike highways. The Bikecentennial thing was private wasn't it?
I am not sure if it was a private thing at the time or if it was sponsored by a government organization and then spun off by a private group. Currently "Adventure Cycling" is the group that seems to have a connection with Bikecentennial and it is the group that is part of this whole US bike routes thing: "Adventure Cycling and several other organizations have teamed up with AASHTO (American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials) to develop a national interstate route system for cyclists."
http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/index.cfm
And again all they are doing is making maps and putting up signs... It sure would be nice if the AASHTO really considered cycling as viable transportation... then perhaps the information would be readily available on all maps.
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