More than Just Lines on a Map: Best Practices for U.S Bike Routes
This session highlights best practices and lessons learned for U.S. Bike Route System designation, as well as how and why these routes should be integrated into bicycle planning at the local and regional level.
Presenters:
Presenter: Kevin Luecke Toole Design Group
Co-Presenter: Virginia Sullivan Adventure Cycling Association
Integrating a Health Impact Assessment into District-Wide School Travel Plan...
More than Just Lines on a Map: Best Practices for U.S Bike Routes
1. The U.S. Bicycle Route System
Best Practices & Case Studies
September 2014
Kevin Luecke
Toole Design Group
Ginny Sullivan
Adventure Cycling Association
2. Overview
•Adventure Cycling
•USBRS Vision
•Evidence of Success
•Why it’$ Important
•AASHTO Process
•Why a study
•Survey Results
•Case Studies
•Best Practices
•What’s next
4. Adventure Cycling: Who We Are
• “America’s Bicycle Travel Experts”
• Started as Bikecentennial in 1973
• Largest cycling membership group in North America: 47,000+ globally
• 37 staff and many volunteers
• Outside Magazine ’08 & ‘12 Best Place to Work
• Create some of the best bike route maps, publications, special cycling routes (41,180+ miles) in North America
• Fantastic bike adventures and education
5.
6. 100 Tours
•Self Contained
•Inn to Inn
•Van Supported
•Fully Supported
•Family Fun
•Educational
•Mountain Bike Tours
•Epic: TransAm, Northern Tier, Southern Tier & more
14. The Vision
To encourage the development of a coordinated system of US bicycle routes across the country.
The Task Force is charged with developing a recommended national systems-level or corridor- level plan for use in designating potential future US bicycle routes.
33. Bike Travel Demographics
• Highly Educated
• Higher Discretionary Income
• Bike travelers spend more than average tourist
• Typically stay longer in an area
• Overnights to Multi-Day/Week/Month
• Less direct impact on local environment
• Green travel potential and linkage with trains/buses
• Sweet spot for 50-64 yr olds, which as of 2010 accounts for 43 percent of increase in consumer spending
38. Quebec!
•$160 million spent
•$134 million generated in year one (2007)
•New study needed
39. Wisconsin
$533 million from out-of-staters for cycling (out of $1.5 billion total for cycling)
40. Iowa: $364.8 million
Or $1 mill/day!!
M Wyatt
Oregon: $400 million –
•35% overnighters
•78% revenue from overnights
41. Phase I = $668 million per year in economic benefit to Michigan's economy.
Phase II – next year (includes events & travel)
42. Other Financials Montana: $377 million from multi-day touring cyclists
•Arizona: $88 million impact from Non- resident spenders
• Minnesota: $427 million for recreational road and mountain biking – sizable chunk for tourism
• Great Allegheny Passage – $50+ million gross revenue in 2012. Tracked $114/day spending by overnight cyclists..
• CO – nearly $200 million for summer biking in ski country
• NC – Nine-fold return on Investment: $6.7 million in infrastructure = $60 million in economic impact
45. Implementation: Big Picture
Route applications submitted to AASHTO by State DOTs
–Neighboring states submit together OR connect to an existing USBR or foreign country
–Include maps and route descriptions
–Sign-off from DOTs
•Installation of signs & trailblazing
•Expansion of the system
–Spur, alternate & loop routes
–New routes & corridors
46. Implementation: State by State
•State & local agencies determine best approach
–Route Identification
–Road Assessments
–Coordination with transportation divisions, counties, townships and MPOs
–Also aligning routes with neighboring states
•Who Does the Work?
-Volunteers, bicycle and/or trail advocates
-Agency staff
47. Three Phases of Implementation
•Planning
•Designation
•Promotion