Puget Sound Map - A Great Example of What's to Come

As the coordinator for the U.S. Bicycle Route System, I learn about all sorts of great work going on in the bicycling world and have the opportunity to meet the amazing individuals who make these things happen.

Recently I was introduced to Dennis Neuzil, a retired traffic engineer and avid cyclist in the beautiful state of Washington. Dennis volunteers his time for the Cascade Bicycle Club, one of the largest bike clubs on the continent with 11,000 members.

Dennis recognized that the Seattle-Tacoma region was missing bicycling connections. He and a group of dedicated volunteers helped create the Puget Sound Regional Bicycle Route Network Study: Assessment and Recommendations that eventually resulted in the Central Puget Sound Regional Class Bicycle Route Network map (call CBC for the map at 206-522-3222). The map covers four counties, 90 cities, and three transportation districts, and identifies 1,500 miles of bicycle routes.

The map links gateways (i.e. cities, universities, other key destinations) in a pass/fail standard: green routes are good as they are, red routes are priorities for improvements. This map serves two purposes; 1) it provides transportation information to cyclists (though not intended as a wayfinding map, it does unite a large metro region geographically) and; 2) it creates an opportunity for transportation districts to prioritize and fix the gaps.

This is the perfect example of how regions across the country can mobilize and expand their city networks to incorporate suburbs and link into neighboring cities. The U.S. Bicycle Route System may serve as the impetus for many metro regions to make urban, suburban, and rural connections (doesn't that sing?).

For some areas, like rural Washington, this won't be difficult, as it has limited roads and services from which to choose. But for more densely populated regions, it will be necessary to identify road conditions and attributes so a well-informed decision for continuous routing can be made. This process will also help cities, counties and the state transportation departments collectively set long-term goals for bicycling improvements. Three states I know of are currently engaged in this kind of process: Florida and Georgia are assessing roads within Corridor 1 and 15, and the Virginia Department of Transportation is working on a state-wide bicycle plan that includes acknowledgment, maintenance, and expansion of their U.S. Bicycle Routes.

If you know of other studies, policies or examples pertaining to the development of long distance bicycle routes, please tell me about them. You can post information or links on the USBRS Forums.

--

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.