Update to the National Corridor Plan March 2012

Two new corridors were recently approved (as of March 1st!) and officially added to the National Corridor Plan by the Task Force for U.S. Bicycle Routes. These new corridors, 11 and 21, are shown via yellow lines in the map on the left. Corridors in the National Corridor Plan are not approved or designated bicycle routes, but 50 mile-wide areas where a route might exist or be developed.

Let me begin by telling you briefly about USBR 21. This corridor was added due to interest from Ohio to develop a route from Cleveland to Kentucky that took advantage of developing bike path infrastructure along that corridor. This also happens to follow much of Adventure Cycling's Underground Railroad Bicycle Route through Ohio. Of course, to add this corridor, it needed to make interstate connections that would provide access to scenic and/or cultural destinations and/or cities and transportation hubs. Therefore, Adventure Cycling engaged in subsequent discussions with Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia which resulted in USBR 21 as a suggested new corridor.

In Ohio, USBR 21 will connect Cleveland and Columbus and Cincinnati following a network of trails and large portions of the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route. This route integrates many interesting historical sites and attractions, such as Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the beautiful farm land of central and southern Ohio. The corridor goes through Lexington, Kentucky, the center of wonderful blue grass horse country that makes central Kentucky so famous. Tennessee brings both Knoxville and Chattanooga along the western slopes of the Appalachians. Northern Georgia offers some gorgeous countryside, red clay hills, and Civil War battlefield sites.

We are very excited about the addition of USBR 11 to the US Bicycle Route System. This corridor was proposed by the Virginia Bicycling Federation as a way to connect five National Parks into a regional bicycle network. Numbered in honor of the Great Valley Road, the corridor will begin at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath (C&O Canal) in Maryland and will integrate the Byron Goodloe Bridge, part of the Appalachian Trail (cyclists are allowed to use this bridge if they dismount and walk their bicycles across), then connect Harpers Ferry National Park, Shenandoah National Park and the scenic Skyline Drive, and align with the Blue Ridge Parkway. Approximately 475 miles in length, this corridor will also make another important regional connection on its southern end to North Carolina's Mountains to Sea Route. The corridor touches four states, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina all of which support the addition of USBR 11 to the National Corridor Plan.

Along with these two wonderful new additions, Adventure Cycling staff is updating the content on the interactive Corridor Map on our website with the latest progress in each state. Be sure to click each state to learn what they are doing to plan, implement and promote U.S. Bicycle Routes.

Maps by Adventure Cycling Association


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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.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/03/update-to-national-corridor-plan-march.html

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