More than Just Lines on a Map: Best Practices for U.S Bike Routes This session highlights best practices and lessons learned for U.S. Bike Route System designation, as well as how and why these routes should be integrated into bicycle planning at the local and regional level. Presenters: Presenter: Kevin Luecke Toole Design Group Co-Presenter: Virginia Sullivan Adventure Cycling Association

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