1. The U.S. Bicycle Route System
Best Practices & Case Studies
September 2014
Kevin Luecke
Toole Design Group
Ginny Sullivan
Adventure Cycling Association

2. Overview
•Adventure Cycling
•USBRS Vision
•Evidence of Success
•Why it’$ Important
•AASHTO Process
•Why a study
•Survey Results
•Case Studies
•Best Practices
•What’s next

3. Inspiring and empowering people to travel by bicycle since 1976.

4. Adventure Cycling: Who We Are
• “America’s Bicycle Travel Experts”
• Started as Bikecentennial in 1973
• Largest cycling membership group in North America: 47,000+ globally
• 37 staff and many volunteers
• Outside Magazine ’08 & ‘12 Best Place to Work
• Create some of the best bike route maps, publications, special cycling routes (41,180+ miles) in North America
• Fantastic bike adventures and education

6. 100 Tours
•Self Contained
•Inn to Inn
•Van Supported
•Fully Supported
•Family Fun
•Educational
•Mountain Bike Tours
•Epic: TransAm, Northern Tier, Southern Tier & more

8. 42,000+ miles of routes

9. ** A Nation of Networks **
** Connected and convenient interstate
bike travel from city center to countryside **

10. History of US Bicycle Routes
In 1970’s interest in long distance bicycle travel picks up

11. First US Bicycle routes
designated in 1982
*US Bicycle Route 1 (red)
*US Bicycle Route 76 (blue)
_______
No routes
designated
since

12. Began Project late 2003
Staff Support 2005
** AASHTO Approval 2008 **

14. The Vision
To encourage the development of a coordinated system of US bicycle routes across the country.
The Task Force is charged with developing a recommended national systems-level or corridor- level plan for use in designating potential future US bicycle routes.

15. Inventory of existing routes overlaid by the proposed corridor system

18. 6,790 miles

19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEHOj-Nc60Q

26. Outdoor Industry Reports: More Americans bicycle than golf, ski or play tennis combined.

28. What is Bicycle Tourism?
Russ Roca

29. Who are Bicycle Travelers?
DIY – Self Contained

30. Ride Centered

31. Event Centered

32. Urban Visitors

33. Bike Travel Demographics
• Highly Educated
• Higher Discretionary Income
• Bike travelers spend more than average tourist
• Typically stay longer in an area
• Overnights to Multi-Day/Week/Month
• Less direct impact on local environment
• Green travel potential and linkage with trains/buses
• Sweet spot for 50-64 yr olds, which as of 2010 accounts for 43 percent of increase in consumer spending

34. Shoe String: $25/day Economy: $25-75/day
Comfort: $75+/day

35. Bike travel and tourism are booming Evidence?
• Economics
• Communities
• Route Networks and Facilities
• Pubic Relations Investment

36. Europe! = $57 billion

37. Lanesboro, MN (just 800 people) $25 million

38. Quebec!
•$160 million spent
•$134 million generated in year one (2007)
•New study needed

39. Wisconsin
$533 million from out-of-staters for cycling (out of $1.5 billion total for cycling)

40. Iowa: $364.8 million
Or $1 mill/day!!
M Wyatt
Oregon: $400 million –
•35% overnighters
•78% revenue from overnights

41. Phase I = $668 million per year in economic benefit to Michigan's economy.
Phase II – next year (includes events & travel)

42. Other Financials Montana: $377 million from multi-day touring cyclists
•Arizona: $88 million impact from Non- resident spenders
• Minnesota: $427 million for recreational road and mountain biking – sizable chunk for tourism
• Great Allegheny Passage – $50+ million gross revenue in 2012. Tracked $114/day spending by overnight cyclists..
• CO – nearly $200 million for summer biking in ski country
• NC – Nine-fold return on Investment: $6.7 million in infrastructure = $60 million in economic impact

43. Most routes will use existing roads and facilities.

45. Implementation: Big Picture
Route applications submitted to AASHTO by State DOTs
–Neighboring states submit together OR connect to an existing USBR or foreign country
–Include maps and route descriptions
–Sign-off from DOTs
•Installation of signs & trailblazing
•Expansion of the system
–Spur, alternate & loop routes
–New routes & corridors

46. Implementation: State by State
•State & local agencies determine best approach
–Route Identification
–Road Assessments
–Coordination with transportation divisions, counties, townships and MPOs
–Also aligning routes with neighboring states
•Who Does the Work?
-Volunteers, bicycle and/or trail advocates
-Agency staff

47. Three Phases of Implementation
•Planning
•Designation
•Promotion

48. USBR M1-9 MUTCD
USBR M1-9 Alternate NCUTCD 2009

49. •AASHTO & Task Force Liaison
•Corridor Plan Map
•Meeting Coordination
•Training & Mapping
•USBRS Blog & Social Media
•News & Updates
•Forums for discussion
•Tracking benefits
•Contacts & Stakeholders
•Future Map Clearinghouse

50. •40+ states working at some level
•Unique opportunities
•Unique challenges
•Various stakeholders
•Changing agency support
• Funding & capacity

51. State Surveys & Case Studies