On the Hunt in Oregon: Courting Leaders for the U.S. Bicycle Route System

Now, I've never hunted. Having grown up on a ranch, my memories of hunting season equate with early morning phone calls and a haze of faintly familiar faces parading through our front door seeking permission to stalk their prey of choice.

But, for the past couple of weeks, you could say that I have been targeting a kind of prey: leaders for the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). It's a friendly game that is actually more courtship than chase -- but it is a pursuit all the same. There are plenty of leaders to pursue -- especially in Oregon, and between Oct 20-24, I had the pleasure to meet and court numerous people and groups in that wonderful, bicycle-loving state.

There is an emerging Scenic Bikeways Program, facilitated through Parks and Recreation (a big thank you to Alex Phillips, coordinator, and Doug Parrow, chairman of the committee, for taking hours of their time to talk about building the USBRS in Oregon).


There's that annual event called Cycle Oregon, which brings thousands of people to rural communities across Oregon, while its foundation supports a diverse number of off-shoot cycling amenities such as RideOregonRide.com, the new Travel Oregon interactive website that makes biking accessible to all types of riders (commuters, mountain, road). Cycle Oregon's ride director, Jerry Norquist is also chair of the Oregon Dept. of Transportation's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee -- which is another group I had the opportunity to meet.

I also took a couple hours to sit down with Sheila Lyons, the state Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator and talk about roles and responsibilities for implementing these interstate routes, potentially in partnership with an outside, non-government organization.

The good news is that, along with all these great bicycling supporters and activities going on in Oregon, there exists a ton of enthusiasm for the USBRS. Between these groups and the amazing members of Adventure Cycling that I met there, we'll surely hit the mark and find the leader for the USBRS.

in the top photo from left to right: Alex Phillips, Parks & Recreation; Kristin Dahl, Travel Oregon; Doug Parrow, chair Scenic Bikeways Committee and Bicycle Transportation Alliance board member; Mike Cosgrove Scenic Bikeways Committee member and Strawberry Mountain Coop
in the bottom photo: Jerry Norquist, Cycle Oregon
photos by Ginny Sullivan

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BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM is posted twice per month by Ginny Sullivan, USBRS coordinator, and features news and updates related to the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System.