Meet Josh DeBruyn, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the Michigan State Department of Transportation. I had the opportunity to meet Josh face-to-face last fall at the Mid-America Trails and Greenways Conference held in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Josh, I learned, loves to travel by bicycle -- which really helps him in his job. Case in point, when I mentioned the fact that Adventure Cycling maps provide library locations along our routes -- it clicked! He instantly understood that libraries offer an important resource for traveling cyclists (shelter, computers/internet, & community information). Later, after the conference, Josh wrote to tell me that Michigan would be adding libraries as a feature to their regional bike maps.
Here's your chance to get to know a little bit more about Josh and the role he is playing in developing U.S. Bicycle Routes in the state of Michigan.
1) How did you first hear about the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS)? I became aware of the USBRS when I became the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the Michigan Department of Transportation in 2006. Adventure Cycling and AASHTO had already developed the Corridor Plan with input from the former Michigan coordinator. After nearly a year without a coordinator, I was asked to review the corridor plan and become familiar with the project.
2) What inspired you to get involved? Michigan has a lot to offer bicyclist and I saw the USBRS as an excellent way to connect scenic vistas of the Great Lakes, open farmland, and peaceful woodlands, with friendly quaint communities and urban centers. While Michigan has an excellent road network, I understood that bicyclist would benefit from a predetermined network of facilities appropriate for cycling. Further, transportation and tourism benefits from such a network can have on positive benefit to Michigan and as such I felt the project was a worthwhile endeavor to become involved with.
3) What corridors is Michigan working on? Where do they go? Michigan is unique in that geographically it is difficult to get to due to the Great Lakes. Despite this challenge, Michigan has 6 corridors, second only to California and Illinois. Presently we are working on Route 35, along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan from the Indiana state line north to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (and Canada) via the 5 mile long Mackinaw Bridge. Route 35 will offer the stunning vistas of Lake Michigan and plenty of ice cream in quaint, lakefront towns. We are also working on Routes 20 an east/west route connecting Michigan with Wisconsin and Canada via ferry. Route 20 travels through farmland and numerous small farming communities.
4) How are you supporting this work? Working in my role as bicycle and pedestrian coordinator with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), I am supporting the USBRS as a liaison between local road agencies, individuals working on the ground to identify different routes, and ultimately with AASHTO to submit an application for designation when we get to that point. I travel the state extensively both for work and on personal trips so I am familiar with many of the routes being proposed. This personal knowledge has helped me offer suggestions to proposed routes that will help the routes be more direct and suitable for bicyclists not familiar with Michigan.
5) What is your association with Adventure Cycling Association? My association with Adventure Cycling is primarily as an advocate for improved bicycling conditions and policies in Michigan that support both recreational and utilitarian cycling throughout Michigan. I also serve as a liaison between Adventure Cycling and the Michigan DOT to promote and develop the USBRS.
6) What is your long-term hope for this national system? My long term hopes and vision of the USBRS is that it not only becomes a reality quickly, but that it heightens local and national awareness that bicycling is a safe, viable, and healthy form of regional and cross country transportation.
Photo courtesy of Josh DeBruyn
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BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM (USBRS) is posted by Ginny Sullivan, USBRS coordinator at Adventure Cycling, and features news and updates related to the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS project is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by a task force under the auspices of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Members of the task force include officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits like the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc.
Here's your chance to get to know a little bit more about Josh and the role he is playing in developing U.S. Bicycle Routes in the state of Michigan.
1) How did you first hear about the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS)? I became aware of the USBRS when I became the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the Michigan Department of Transportation in 2006. Adventure Cycling and AASHTO had already developed the Corridor Plan with input from the former Michigan coordinator. After nearly a year without a coordinator, I was asked to review the corridor plan and become familiar with the project.
2) What inspired you to get involved? Michigan has a lot to offer bicyclist and I saw the USBRS as an excellent way to connect scenic vistas of the Great Lakes, open farmland, and peaceful woodlands, with friendly quaint communities and urban centers. While Michigan has an excellent road network, I understood that bicyclist would benefit from a predetermined network of facilities appropriate for cycling. Further, transportation and tourism benefits from such a network can have on positive benefit to Michigan and as such I felt the project was a worthwhile endeavor to become involved with.
3) What corridors is Michigan working on? Where do they go? Michigan is unique in that geographically it is difficult to get to due to the Great Lakes. Despite this challenge, Michigan has 6 corridors, second only to California and Illinois. Presently we are working on Route 35, along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan from the Indiana state line north to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (and Canada) via the 5 mile long Mackinaw Bridge. Route 35 will offer the stunning vistas of Lake Michigan and plenty of ice cream in quaint, lakefront towns. We are also working on Routes 20 an east/west route connecting Michigan with Wisconsin and Canada via ferry. Route 20 travels through farmland and numerous small farming communities.
4) How are you supporting this work? Working in my role as bicycle and pedestrian coordinator with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), I am supporting the USBRS as a liaison between local road agencies, individuals working on the ground to identify different routes, and ultimately with AASHTO to submit an application for designation when we get to that point. I travel the state extensively both for work and on personal trips so I am familiar with many of the routes being proposed. This personal knowledge has helped me offer suggestions to proposed routes that will help the routes be more direct and suitable for bicyclists not familiar with Michigan.
5) What is your association with Adventure Cycling Association? My association with Adventure Cycling is primarily as an advocate for improved bicycling conditions and policies in Michigan that support both recreational and utilitarian cycling throughout Michigan. I also serve as a liaison between Adventure Cycling and the Michigan DOT to promote and develop the USBRS.
6) What is your long-term hope for this national system? My long term hopes and vision of the USBRS is that it not only becomes a reality quickly, but that it heightens local and national awareness that bicycling is a safe, viable, and healthy form of regional and cross country transportation.
Photo courtesy of Josh DeBruyn
--
BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM (USBRS) is posted by Ginny Sullivan, USBRS coordinator at Adventure Cycling, and features news and updates related to the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS project is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by a task force under the auspices of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Members of the task force include officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits like the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc.
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