Originally Posted by
mandovoodoo
The actual routes don't all exist. Just the corridors where local officials or whoever gets their act together can designate cycle friendly roads. Isn't really any different than finding your own way.
This is almost exactly what non-interstate numbered routes in the US for cars, at least in the east. You had lots of roads but no system. Then different automobile organizations started determining good routes, publishing maps, and putting up signs. Eventually this became a government role, and I can walk a block away and get on MA route 16. Numbered routes are great for medium to long distance travel in cars; I would expect similarly for bikes.
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_trail
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...bered_Highways