Colorado Launches Bike the Byways Program & Maps

Adventure Cycling recently received an exciting press release announcing a new program to encourage bicycle tourism visits to Colorado. Bike the Byways, a joint Bicycle Colorado and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) initiative, promotes bicycling along the state?s 25 designated scenic byways, a statewide system of outstanding touring routes which afford the traveler identification and interpretation of key points of interest and services, while providing for the protection of significant resources.

Dan Grunig, executive director of Bicycle Colorado, said in the release, "We hope this program will encourage folks to get out and visit areas of the state they may not have bicycled in before. We have such a vast array of geography and terrain here in Colorado that the byways really do provide something for everyone.?


Later, in an email, Dan went on to say he thinks the byways closest to metro Denver will see the most bicycling trips (Peak to Peak, Lariat Loop [pictured above], and Mt. Evans) and that several byways feature classic Colorado high alpine routes (Top of the Rockies [top photo], San Juan Skyway, and West Elk Loop). The full range of Colorado's different environments can be found on amazing routes like the Santa Fe Trail, Pawnee Pioneer Trails, and the Dinosaur Diamond. You can even mountain bike on some byways, including the Gold Belt Tour and the Alpine Loop (which is good news to Dan, a retired mountain bike racer).

The other great result of this collaboration is that CDOT combined the state bicycling map and scenic byways map into one suitability map, with roads color-coded based on shoulder width and daily motorized traffic volumes.

Cyclists are encouraged to register for free on the Bike the Byways website, and check off each byway that they complete, similar to the popular 14ers hiking checklist. Dan said, "People around the world set a lifetime goal to climb all 58 of Colorado's 14,000+ mountains. We thought bicyclists needed a similar checklist, and it fit perfect with our 25 Scenic and Historic Byways. Bicyclists also ride a pace that makes it easy to visit cultural sites along the routes." Website visitors can also include their experiences and provide tips about the routes.

Of course, one of the aspects I love about this project is the opportunity for people to come together in partnership. Betsy Jacobson commented on the fact that Bicycle Colorado and CDOT are not new allies: "This type of collaboration is nothing new; we frequently work together to enhance bicycling throughout the state," she said.

And as Lenore Bates, CDOT Scenic Byways Coordinator, said, ?My expectation is that this program will form a collaboration among bicyclists and local byway communities, as well as integrate the byway experience with bicyclists.?

If you'd like to obtain a Colorado Bicycling and Scenic Byways map, send an e-mail to Byways@dot.state.co.us.

Photos by Sally Pearce.

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CONNECTIONS is posted by Ginny Sullivan, Adventure Cycling's special projects director and features the cultural, historical, geographical, and human connections created through bike travel. Find out about our award-winning Underground Railroad Bicycle Route.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/06/colorado-launches-bike-byways-program.html

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