More than Just Lines on a Map: Best Practices for U.S Bike Routes

The U.S.

Bicycle Route

System

Best Practices &

Case Studies

September 2014

Kevin Luecke

Toole Design Group

Ginny Sullivan

Adventure Cycling

Association

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

Inspiring and empowering people to travel by

bicycle since 1976.

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

100 Tours • Self Contained

• Inn to Inn

• Van Supported

• Fully Supported

• Family Fun

• Educational

• Mountain Bike Tours

• Epic: TransAm, Northern Tier, Southern Tier & more

42,000+ miles of routes

** A Nation of Networks **

** Connected and convenient interstate

bike travel from city center to countryside **

History of US Bicycle Routes In 1970’s interest in

long distance bicycle travel

picks up

First US Bicycle routes

designated in 1982

*US Bicycle Route 1 (red)

*US Bicycle Route 76 (blue)

_______

No routes

designated

since

Began Project late 2003

Staff Support 2005

** AASHTO Approval 2008 **

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.

Inventory of existing

routes overlaid by the

proposed corridor system

6,790 miles

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

Outdoor Industry Reports: More Americans bicycle

than golf, ski or play tennis combined.

What is Bicycle Tourism?

Russ Roca

Who are Bicycle Travelers?

DIY – Self

Contained

Ride Centered

Event Centered

Urban Visitors

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

Shoe String: $25/day Economy: $25-75/day

Comfort: $75+/day

Bike travel and tourism are

booming

Evidence?

• Economics

• Communities

• Route Networks and Facilities

• Pubic Relations Investment

Europe!

= $57 billion

Lanesboro, MN (just 800

people) $25 million

Quebec!

• $160 million spent

• $134 million generated in

year one (2007)

• New study needed

Wisconsin

$533 million from

out-of-staters for

cycling (out of $1.5

billion total for

cycling)

Iowa: $364.8

million Or $1 mill/day!!

M Wyatt

Oregon: $400 million – • 35% overnighters • 78% revenue from

overnights

Phase I = $668 million per year in

economic benefit to

Michigan's economy.

Phase II – next year

(includes events &

travel)

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

Most routes will use existing roads and facilities.

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

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

Three Phases of Implementation

• Planning

• Designation

• Promotion

USBR M1-9

MUTCD

USBR M1-9

Alternate

NCUTCD

2009

• 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

• 40+ states working at some level

• Unique opportunities

• Unique challenges

• Various stakeholders

• Changing agency support

• Funding & capacity

State Surveys

& Case Studies