A national cycling route network is a nationwide network of designated long-distance cycling routes found in various countries around the world for the purposes of bicycle tourism . They are often created and maintained by the government of the country, or at least with the backing or co-operation of the government of the country. Some of the routes in these national networks can be part of international long-distance cycling routes, such as the EuroVelo network of European cycling routes.
22-469: 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
44-618: A national-level corridor and route designation plan. Other organizations involved in the effort include state departments of transportation, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 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 FHWA as part of a new Office of Livability. In 2009,
66-609: A non-voting associate membership. Some noteworthy AASHTO publications are: In addition to its publications, AASHTO performs or cooperates in research projects. One such project is the AASHTO Road Test , which is a primary source of data used when considering transport policies and the structural design of roads. Much of AASHTO's current research is performed by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) which
88-687: A specific route has not been approved by AASHTO, there is only a prioritized corridor . The 24 existing subsidiary and alternate routes are grouped with their one- or two-digit parents. Approved or signposted routes are located in the District of Columbia and 33 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Ohio has
110-462: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This cycling-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ( AASHTO ) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols , and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout
132-669: Is administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a division of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine . AASHTO re:source, formerly the AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL), accredits laboratories. Accreditation is often required to submit test results to state DOTs. For example, a contract for the construction of a highway bridge may require a minimum compressive strength for
154-696: 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
176-581: Is not a government body, it does possess quasi-governmental powers in the sense that the organizations that supply its members customarily obey most AASHTO decisions. The voting membership of AASHTO consists of the Department of Transportation of each state in the United States, as well as those of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia . The United States Department of Transportation has
198-410: Is projected to encompass over 50,000 miles (80,000 km) of bike routes. 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
220-544: 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 . As with auxiliary Interstate Highways , two distinct U.S. Bicycle Routes in two different states along the same mainline route may share the same three-digit number without any plan to connect the routes. The first example of this repetition occurred in 2021 with
242-747: The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in 2023. 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. Florida has also begun planning on four bicycle routes, including its stretch of USBR 1 and USBR 90. As of November 2022, there are 31 official parent routes in varying stages of completion. In areas where
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#1732793812508264-405: The FHWA published a new edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices that introduces a revised U.S. Bicycle Route shield. Compared to the 2003 edition, the new design swaps the bicycle symbol and route number. 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
286-452: The United States. Despite its name, the association represents not only highways but air, rail, water, and public transportation as well. Although AASHTO sets transportation standards and policy for the United States as a whole, AASHTO is not an agency of the federal government; rather it is an organization of the states themselves. Policies of AASHTO are not federal laws or policies, but rather are ways to coordinate state laws and policies in
308-652: The approval of USBR 230 in Ohio , which is not intended to connect to an existing USBR 230 in Wisconsin . 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, but USBR 97 also enters Washington. Outside of Alaska ,
330-491: The existing routes in Virginia and the establishment of USBR 1 in New England . In 2012, the FHWA approved the use of an alternative U.S. Bicycle Route marker design on an interim basis. The alternative design departs from the longstanding "acorn" shape in favor of a Reuleaux triangle placed over a green background. The FHWA gave 17 states interim approval to use the alternative design before formally incorporating it into
352-400: The field of transportation. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) was founded on December 12, 1914. Its name was changed to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials on November 13, 1973. The name change reflects a broadened scope to cover all modes of transportation, although most of its activities are still specific to highways. While AASHTO
374-731: The most of any state, with eight active routes total. Below is an incomplete list of prioritized corridors , "50-mile-wide areas where a route may be developed": U.S. state bicycle route systems: National cycling route network Examples of these national networks are the Dutch LF-routes , the routes of the British National Cycle Network , and the USA's United States Bicycle Route System . Organizing bodies: Muli-modal road safety: Contrasting international system: This tourism-related article
396-430: 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)
418-400: 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. As of November 2022, 29 parent routes and 24 child routes extend 18,953 miles (30,502 km) across 34 states and the District of Columbia . The system, once fully connected,
440-549: 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. The USBRS was established in 1978 by 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." The first routes were defined in 1982: U.S. Bicycle Route 1 (USBR 1) from North Carolina to Virginia, and
462-490: 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. The task force included state and federal highway officials and representatives from bicycling organizations. In October 2008, AASHTO approved
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#1732793812508484-514: The westernmost route is expected to be USBR 95 and the northernmost USBR 8 . USBR 90 is expected to be the southernmost route. 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),
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