United States Bicycle Route System

The United States Bicycle Route System (abbreviated USBRS) is the national cycling route network of the United States. It consists of interstate long-distance cycling routes that use multiple types of bicycling infrastructure, including off-road paths, bicycle lanes, and low-traffic roads. As with the complementary United States Numbered Highways system for motorists, each U.S. Bicycle Route is maintained by state and local governments. The USBRS is intended to eventually traverse the entire country, like the Dutch National Cycle Routes and the United Kingdom's National Cycle Network, yet at a scale similar to the EuroVelo network that spans Europe.

The USBRS was established in 1978 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the same body that coordinates the numbering of Interstate highways and U.S. Routes. The first two U.S. Bicycle Routes were established in 1982 and remained the only two until 2011. Steady growth and interest in the system has followed since.^[2][3][4] As of September 2015, 21 parent routes and six child routes extend 11,424 miles (18,385 km) across 23 states and the District of Columbia.^[5] The system, once fully connected, is projected to encompass over 50,000 miles (80,000 km) of bike routes.^[6]

Layout

Like United States Numbered Highways and many national routing systems, the U.S. Bicycle Route system is designed to roughly follow a grid. Mainline routes are the major cross-country routes and are represented with one- or two-digit numbers. Even-numbered routes are planned to primarily run east-west, with low-numbered routes in the north and high-numbered routes in the south. Odd-numbered routes will primarily run north-south, with low-numbered routes starting in the east and ascending in number toward the west. Three-digit numbers are assigned to auxiliary routes, with the last two digits denoting the parent that the auxiliary connects to. Much like other routing systems, the grid is sometimes violated; for example, U.S. Bicycle Route 76 (USBR 76) is projected to turn to the north in Colorado and end in Oregon as opposed to California, south of (and temporarily concurrent with) USBR 20 but far north of USBR 50.

The existing USBR 1 will be the easternmost route, though USBR 5 will run farther east of it in Virginia and the Carolinas. The westernmost and northernmost routes are USBR 97 and USBR 8, respectively, both of which are in the State of Alaska. Outside of Alaska, the westernmost route is expected to be USBR 95 and the northernmost USBR 10. USBR 90 is expected to be the southernmost route.^[7] Despite the analogy the system has to the U.S. Highway system, the USBRS's route numbers do not necessarily trace the same route as the corresponding U.S. Highway number; for example, while USBR 1 will run close to the East Coast and thus parallel U.S. Route 1 (US 1), the projected route of USBR 10 generally follows US 2.

In order for a route to qualify as a U.S. Bike Route, it needs to connect two or more states, connect multiple U.S. Bike Routes, or connect a U.S. Bike Route with a national border.

History

The USBRS was established in 1978 by the AASHTO for the purpose of "facilitat[ing] travel between the states over routes which have been identified as being more suitable than others for cycling."^[8]

The first routes were defined in 1982: U.S. Bicycle Route 1 (USBR 1) from North Carolina to Virginia, and the stretch of USBR 76 from Illinois through Kentucky to Virginia. These two routes remained the only routes in the system until 2011. In the interim, only minor routing changes had been made in Virginia.

AASHTO established a new task force in 2003 to study expansion of the system.^[2][9][10] The task force included state and federal highway officials and representatives from bicycling organizations. In October 2008, AASHTO approved a national-level corridor and route designation plan.^[11] Other organizations involved in the effort include state departments of transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Adventure Cycling Association.

In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives proposed moving the U.S. Bicycle Route System under the authority of the Federal Highway Administration as part of a new Office of Livability.^[12]

In early May 2011, the first major expansion of the system was made. Five new parent routes, two child routes, and one alternate route were created, along with modifications to the existing routes in Virginia and the establishment of USBR 1 in New England.^[3][4]

• U.S. Bicycle Route 1 now has an additional run from the state of Maine to New Hampshire.
• U.S. Bicycle Route 1A is a sea-side alternate route for USBR 1 in Maine.
• U.S. Bicycle Route 8 runs from Fairbanks, Alaska, along the Alaska Highway, to the Canada–US border.
• U.S. Bicycle Route 108 runs from its parent route in Tok, Alaska to Anchorage.
• U.S. Bicycle Route 208 follows the Haines Highway from the Alaska Marine Highway terminal in Haines to the Canada–US border.
• U.S. Bicycle Route 20 runs from the St. Clair River through the state of Michigan to Lake Michigan.
• U.S. Bicycle Route 87 follows the Klondike Highway from the Alaska Marine Highway terminal in Skagway to the Canada–US border.
• U.S. Bicycle Route 95 follows the Richardson Highway from Delta Junction, Alaska to the Alaska Marine Highway terminal in Valdez.
• U.S. Bicycle Route 97 is entirely within Alaska, and it runs from Fairbanks, through Anchorage, to Seward.

Across 2013, several other additions to the system were made. After approval in 2012, signage for USBR 45 in Minnesota was completed in the summer. An expansion of USBR 76 into Missouri was signed in October, and both Tennessee and Maryland entered the system on November 5 with USBR 23 and USBR 50, respectively.^[6] Florida has also begun planning on four bicycle routes, including its stretch of USBR 1 and USBR 90.^[13]

List of routes

As of November 2016, there are 22 official parent routes in varying stages of completion. In areas where a specific route has not been approved by AASHTO, there is only a prioritized corridor. The six existing subsidiary and alternate routes are grouped with their one- or two-digit parents. Approved or signposted routes are currently located in the District of Columbia and 23 states: Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Alaska has the most of any state, with six active routes total.

Route number	States with approved routes	States within corridor	Official length		Formed	Notes
			(mi)	(km)
01 ! USBR 1	Maine,[14] New Hampshire,[15] Massachusetts,[16] Virginia,[17][16] North Carolina, Florida[18]	Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida	1,525.6	2,455	1982	One of the original routes. Unofficial signs exist along some of the planned route from the Canada–US border in Maine to Key West, Florida. It is expected to be integrated with the East Coast Greenway.[2]
01-0 ! USBR 1A	Maine[14]	Maine	135	217	2011	This is a seaside alternative to U.S. Bicycle Route 1 in Maine.
07 ! USBR 7	Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut	Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut	380	612	2015
08 ! USBR 8	Alaska[19]	Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia	290.94	468	2011	The northernmost route in the system, USBR 8 was approved from Fairbanks to the Canada–US border, following Alaska Route 2 along the Richardson and Alaska highways.[20][19]
08-1 ! USBR 108	Alaska[19]	Alaska	302	486	2011	A spur of USBR 8 that follows Alaska Route 1 from Tok to Anchorage, at a junction with USBR 97.[19]
08-2 ! USBR 208	Alaska[19]	Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon	39	63	2011	A spur of Route 8 that follows the Haines Highway.[19]
10 ! USBR 10	Washington, Idaho,[5] Michigan[16]	Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington	666	1,072	2014	Northernmost planned route in the contiguous United States, roughly following the U.S. Route 2 highway. Currently runs through northern Washington State, connecting to British Columbia via Washington State Ferries.[21]
10-0 ! USBR 10A	Idaho[5]	Idaho	71	114	2015
11 ! USBR 11	Maryland[16]	North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland	34	55	2014	This route generally parallels U.S. Route 11. The first section was established in Maryland on November 24, 2014.[16]
20 ! USBR 20	Michigan	Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon	310	499	2011	Routing in Michigan has been approved,[20] from the international Bluewater Ferry to Canada in Marine City, Michigan, and is planned to incorporate the Lake Michigan Carferry crossing between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
21 ! USBR 21	Georgia	Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio	160.8	259	2015
21-6 ! USBR 621	Georgia	Georgia			2016
23 ! USBR 23	Tennessee	Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama	154	248	2013	Planned to run from south of Louisville, Kentucky south to northern Alabama. Route in Tennessee was approved in 2013.[6]
35 ! USBR 35	Michigan, Indiana	Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi	1,231.34	1,982	2012	Planned to run from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to USBR 45 on the Mississippi River in Mississippi or Louisiana. Michigan portion dedicated on May 19, 2012.[22] Indiana portion approved in September 2015.[23]
35-0 ! USBR 35A	Indiana	Indiana	30.4	49	2015
36 ! USBR 36	Indiana, Illinois	Michigan, Indiana, Illinois	73.87	119	2014	Currently runs from Chicago to the Michigan state line.[21][23] Planned to stretch from Detroit, Michigan to USBR 45 along the Mississippi River in Illinois or Iowa.
37 ! USBR 37	Illinois	Wisconsin, Illinois	57.4	92	2014	Currently runs from the Wisconsin–Illinois state line south to Chicago.[21] Planned to begin at USBR 10 near the border with Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Originally planned as part of USBR 66.[24]
41 ! USBR 41	Minnesota	Minnesota, Wisconsin	315	507	2016	Established in Minnesota in 2016.[25][26] Planned to run from the Canada–US border in Minnesota south to the Mississippi River and USBR 45 in Wisconsin.
45 ! USBR 45	Minnesota	Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana	726	1,168	2012	Planned to incorporate the Mississippi River Trail[2] and run from northern Minnesota south to New Orleans, Louisiana, it is unclear whether this route will primarily run along either the west bank or east bank of the Mississippi River. Route was approved May 21, 2012.[27][28]
50 ! USBR 50	District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana	Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California	688.8	1,109	2013	Planned to be one of the longest routes, stretching from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware through Washington, D.C. in the east to near San Francisco, California. The route in Maryland, which follows the C&O Canal Towpath, was approved in 2013.[6][29] The route in Ohio was approved in 2014,[21] and the route in Indiana was approved the following year.[23]
50-0 ! USBR 50A	Ohio	Ohio	32.3	52	2015
70 ! USBR 70	Utah[5]	Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California	450	724	2015	Planned to run from USBR 76 in Colorado to USBR 66 in California.
76 ! USBR 76	Virginia,[17][16] Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas	Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon	2,365.7	3,807	1982	One of the two original routes, this is planned to be expanded to the longest route, running from the existing eastern terminus near the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia west to the Pacific Ocean west of Eugene, Oregon. The number refers to 1776 and the U.S. bicentennial year 1976 when this was the "Bikecentennial" route. Like USBR 1, unofficial signs exist in places along the route, which is officially only from Virginia to Missouri. Route approved and signed in Missouri in October 2013.[30]
76-1 ! USBR 176	Virginia	Virginia			2016
79 ! USBR 79	Utah[5]	Nevada, Utah, Arizona	332	534	2015	Planned to run from USBR 50 near Reno, Nevada to USBR 90 near Phoenix, Arizona.
87 ! USBR 87	Alaska[19]	Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California	14	23	2011	The middle route of three serving the three West Coast states and Alaska. It is planned to use the Alaska Marine Highway to connect Bellingham, Washington to Skagway, Alaska. Currently, the only approved route follows the Klondike Highway.[19]
90 ! USBR 90	Florida,[16] Arizona[31]	Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California	997.04	1,605	2014	The southernmost route, running from near Jacksonville, Florida west to San Diego, California. The first section was established in Florida on November 24, 2014.[16] The section through Arizona was approved on September 24, 2015.[31][23]
95 ! USBR 95	Alaska[19]	Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California	266	428	2011	The westernmost planned route in the contiguous United States, USBR 95 currently runs from Delta Junction, Alaska to Valdez, via the Richardson Highway.[19] It is planned to follow the Alaska Marine Highway from Valdez to Bellingham, Washington, and then it will go south to San Diego, California. It is expected to incorporate the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route.[2]
97 ! USBR 97	Alaska[19]	Alaska	448	721	2011	The westernmost route in the system, USBR 97 lies entirely within Alaska. It connects Fairbanks, Anchorage and Seward via the Seward and Parks highways.[20][19]

List of prioritized corridors

Below is an incomplete list of prioritized corridors, "50-mile-wide areas where a route may be developed":^[7]

See also

U.S. state bicycle route systems:

• List of BicyclePA bicycle routes
• Delaware Bicycle Route 1
• List of bicycle routes in North Carolina
• List of Georgia State Bicycle Routes
• List of New York State Bicycle Routes

References

External links

• Media related to United States Bicycle Route System at Wikimedia Commons
• U.S. Bicycle Route System - Adventure Cycling Association
• The United States Bicycle Route System: Corridor Plan - Adventure Cycling Association
• U.S. Bicycle Routes - AASHTO