What's the next big thing in the future of bicycle touring?
It could very well be the US Bicycle Route System, a nationwide network of officially numbered bicycle routes to link cities, suburbs and rural areas.
The map above is an April 2010 update of the overall corridor scheme criss-crossing the US. [See a larger view]
Cartographers at Adventure Cycling Association are charting routes within some 50-mile wide corridors marked on the map with the blessing of the American Association of State Highway Transportation officials and the help of volunteers at the state level.
Interest growing
Some 30 states are interested in the system or actively working to implement US Bicycle Routes in their states. Adventure Cycling says the system is included in the federal transportation bill pending in Congress for consideration later in 2010.
The association already is working with Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, California, Oregon and Washington to find the best bicycling roads and trails within those corridors.
States that are just getting started include North Dakota, Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Utah. Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut also are reported ready to go.
Fund-raising
To help pay for the organizing and mapping work for the system, the non-profit Adventure Cycling Association has launched the fund-raising campaign — “Build It. Bike It. Be a part of it.”
The association is seeking to raise $20,000 in May, National Bicycle Month, by asking supporters to donate $10 to help create the bicycle route network.
The small donation box in the upper right column will be posted on BikingBis for the entire month of May if you'd like to donate that way. You can also go to the Adventure Cycling donation page at Causes.com.
If you'd like to help spread the word, check out the “Be a part of it” website.
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