WikiProject U.S. Bicycle Route System

Part of WikiProject United States.

Introduction

An OSM project to map the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). The USBRS is a developing national network of bicycle routes, which will link urban, suburban, and rural areas using a variety of appropriate cycling facilities. To date, 15 U.S. Bicycle Routes spanning 5847 miles (nearly 10000 km) have been established in 12 states: Alaska, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Presently, more than 40 states are working to create U.S. Bicycle Routes. These routes are selected and maintained by State Departments of Transportation (DOTs), and designated and catalogued by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Source: Adventure Cycling Association.

By using OSM to create high quality maps of this nascent network (and wonderful national resource), we can promote its development, growth and use. OSM is now a positive tool for geographic communication of existing and developing bicycle routing at local, statewide and national levels in the USA!

An international cycling map created from OSM data is available, provided by Andy Allan. The map rendering is still being improved, the data are updated every few days. It shows National Cycle Network cycle routes, other regional and local routes, and other cycling-specific features, such as: dedicated cycle tracks and lanes bicycle parking contours and hill colouring bike shops proposed bike routes (or numbering protocols), contrasted with the Lonvia map, below, which does not show proposed routes, but actual routes only http://www.opencyclemap.org/

Lonvia's Cycling Map by Sarah Hoffman is an overlay which shows marked cycle routes around the world. Updated daily, it renders actual routes without the state=proposed tag. Therefore no proposed routes (or numbering protocols) are displayed.

Approved USBRs in OSM

As of July 2013, OpenStreetMap in the USA, via the Cycle Map layer, displays the current USBRS as solid red lines badged with red route numbers (or endeavors to do so as routes are newly approved by AASHTO). The Cycle Map layer also displays USBR proposed routes (ongoing proposal discussions at a state level distinctly moving towards AASHTO application as USBRs) as dashed red lines. The Cycle Map renderer displays both approved and proposed routes, and the http://cycling.waymarkedtrails.org (Lonvia) renderer displays only approved (not proposed) routes.

OSM also displays two significant national bicycle routes which are not strictly part of the USBRS: the East Coast Greenway (ECG, which both shares and diverges from segments of USBR 1) and the Mississippi River Trail (MRT, the Minnesota segments of which are identical to USBR 45 and 45A). Each of these routes (ECG & MRT) traverse several states and each is about 3000 miles (5000 kilometers) long. Hence, these two quasi-private (not government) bicycle routes (ECG & MRT) are determined to be so "national in scope" in the USA that their inclusion in OSM's national cycleway network is asserted (as named, but not numbered ncns). ECG & MRT exist alongside USBRs in OSM's national bicycle route hierarchy, but are not USBRS routes (except for USBR 45 and 45A in Minnesota, which are "both" USBRs and part of MRT).

Additionally, as proposals for USBR 25 in Ohio come closer to becoming an approved USBR 25, the also quasi-private Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR or UGR, traversing several states over 2000 miles) may become a third "national in scope" route displayed in OSM as an ncn. This might occur as UGRR potentially transitions (state by state) to USBR 25, perhaps starting with Ohio.

Here are current approved USBRS routes in OSM:

Route	Relation	State(s)	Shield(s)
U.S. Bicycle Route 1	3022887 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina
U.S. Bicycle Route 1A	1770834 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Maine
U.S. Bicycle Route 8	1770865 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Alaska
U.S. Bicycle Route 20	1575963 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Michigan
U.S. Bicycle Route 23	3319501 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Tennessee
U.S. Bicycle Route 35	2175897 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Michigan
U.S. Bicycle Route 45 (co-branded as Mississippi River Trail in Minnesota)	3365973 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Minnesota
U.S. Bicycle Route 45A (co-branded as Mississippi River Trail in Minnesota)	2918096 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Minnesota
U.S. Bicycle Route 50	3322741 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Maryland
U.S. Bicycle Route 76	3019665 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri
U.S. Bicycle Route 87	1770866 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Alaska
U.S. Bicycle Route 95	1770867 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Alaska
U.S. Bicycle Route 97	1770868 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Alaska
U.S. Bicycle Route 108	1770863 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Alaska
U.S. Bicycle Route 208	1770864 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	Alaska

Proposed USBRs in OSM

It is critically important not to assume that a USBR corridor plus a guess on your part (for example, that there is already a state or regional route through that corridor) "means" that you can or should enter a proposed USBR into OSM. Only do so when you have solid knowledge that there is coordinated statewide activity actively assembling a USBR. This usually happens only as towns and cities along the route, affected counties, and the statewide Department of Transportation are all communicating and exhibit active and involved coordination. As the AASHTO approval process completes twice a year (in the spring and autumn), a rough timeframe of a route first arriving on this list, proceeding to application and gaining approval is approximately six to 24 months.

In addition to type=route + route=bicycle, tag such proposed and numbered statewide relations with network=ncn + cycle_network=US:US + name=USBR# (name of state) + ref=USBR# + state=proposed. It is helpful to add the tag source=Where you learned the route members if you know this information (e.g. "State DOT web site" or "County Bicycle Committee Meeting, January 2014").

In the earliest stages of an existing network=rcn state route becoming a proposed network=ncn USBR route, you may wish to simply add an ncn=proposed tag to the existing state route. In Cycle Map layer, this superimposes a red dashed line on top of the existing solid turquoise line (with no red numbered shields, keeping the turquoise numbered shields). If you do this (shortcut), it is correct to eventually update the tags so they include those in the previous paragraph, as this requires changing the ref # from the rcn-numbered (state) route to the ncn-numbered (USBR) route. An intermediate status in this scenario may be two relations: initially the state relation, then the shortcut of adding ncn=proposed to the state relation, then two relations (one representing the actual state route, another representing the proposed national route/USBR) which stay synced, then (perhaps) back to a single relation after AASHTO approval (assuming the state relation is deleted, having become subsumed by the USBR).

Creating super-relations (containing multiple relations of network=ncn routes, each relation containing road/cycleway members within a single state) is only appropriate for proposed routes when they are simultaneously proposed in multiple states. In this case, create relations so they contain road/cycleway members within a single state. Then, if at least two states (for a single USBR), have incipient ncn routes proposed, these can be appropriately assembled into a super-relation. A current example of this is proposed USBR 90 in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana for a total of three statewide relations in the super-relation for proposed USBR 90.

What follows are not yet approved USBRs, they are only serious proposals, with varying levels of activity. When at least this level of USBR development activity happens in a state, whether to an existing network=rcn state route or with an as-yet-unmapped-in-OSM route, tag the route as above where it is proposed. As with any route relation, this means initially creating a properly-tagged relation, then adding/editing member roads/cycleways to that relation. If you wish to adopt one of the proposed routes below marked VOLUNTEER! please contact Kerry Irons via email using irons54vortex at gmail (dot) com. Also, please do your best to keep this wiki page section updated with your progress, for example, create a BrowseRelation entry for new routes. If you don't or can't update this wiki section, please contact stevea via OSM missive with notes of your progress. Finally, please keep this table synchronized with state registry wiki pages (for example, Ohio).

Proposed USBR	Relation(s)	State(s)	Status and notes - usually where coordinated activity is taking place that will lead to a state application to AASHTO
USBR 10	3457347 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	WA, ID, MT, ND, MN, WI, MI	Incipient in Washington state: seeded as SR 20 east of US 97. Anacortes will likely be the western terminus and the route from there to Sedro-Woolley might well be off SR 20 at least part of the way. Between Sedro-Woolley and the Idaho state line the route will probably be on SR 20 entirely except possibly a few parallel side roads (perhaps between Omak and Riverside or along the Pend Oreille River north of Oldtown). In Michigan, proposed USBR 10 has partially emerged as US-2 from Escanaba to St. Ignace. USBR 10 might be continued west from Escanaba at some future date but there are no plans for that at present.
USBR 11	Virginia  3319517 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	MD, VA, NC	Incipient in Virginia. Concurrent with Blue Ridge Parkway from North Carolina northeasterly to a concurrency with USBR 76 continuing to near Waynesboro. Proposed to follow the Blue Ridge Parkway to Front Royal and then mostly secondary roads to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Full route data are at http://ridewithgps.com/routes/920401, where you can download a free GPX track to aid your editing efforts. VOLUNTEER to adopt and enter this route!
USBR 23	No relation yet in Kentucky nor Alabama	KY, TN (done), AL	Potential early emergence in Kentucky suggests Mammoth Caves State Bicycle Route as a connection to USBR 23 in Tennessee. Possibly/perhaps incipient in Alabama.
USBR 25	Alabama  1783206 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx ) Mississippi  3346762 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx ) Ohio  3087492 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	AL, MS, TN, KY, OH, PA, NY, ON	An Alabama DOT document from 2009 says on page 12 "it is recommended that the U.S. Bike Route 25 in Alabama be the same as the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route." However, Alabama appears not to be further developing this route nor does it have an active proposal to bring this route to AASHTO. The Natchez Trace is emerging/incipient as USBR 35 (and possibly part of 25) in Mississippi. As of 2011, OKI's suggested route for Hamilton, Clermont, and Warren counties in Ohio "follows that of the American Discovery Trail and Underground Railroad Route [Cincinnati spur] from the Cincinnati riverfront to the Newtown trail head of the Little Miami Scenic Trail, then to Xenia." [1]. There is no current project to designate USBR 25 in Ohio, but it is hoped that USBR 50 designation in Ohio (Spring 2014?) will trigger enthusiasm and further development of USBR 25.
USBR 30	3346668 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	WI	Incipient in Wisconsin. Presently concurrent with the Elroy-Sparta State Bike Trail, but there is news from Adventure Cycling Association that this route is "nearly fully defined." The route will follow DNR trails nearly across the state except for an on-road portion from roughly Reedsburg to Madison. Two alternates are considered for the on-road portion, one using the ferry to cross the Wisconsin River at Merrimac and the other crossing the river in Sauk City. Possibly two routes will be implemented: one as USBR 30 and one as USBR 30A. The Wisconsin Bike Federation may have an electronic map document ("soft-copy") of some sort -- at least turn-by-turn directions are available. OSM contact: hobbesvsboyle
USBR 35	Indiana  2182336 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx ) Mississippi  3346762 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	MI (done), IN, KY, TN, MS	Active development in Indiana. See http://www.indianatrails.com/content/usbr35. This map is not correct in parts of Indianapolis, though more agreement should emerge soon. A newer route goes through Shelbyville with a possible alternate through Greenwood. The Natchez Trace is emerging/incipient as USBR 35 (and possibly part of 25) in Mississippi.
USBR 36	No relation yet in Indiana	IN	A draft route is imminently emerging in Indiana (Lake Michigan shore): from New Buffalo, Michigan to the Illinois state line as provided by northwest Indiana (NIRPC) counties. This route is mostly on trails though some will be on roads where trails are in development or not suitable for touring bicycles. VOLUNTEER to adopt and enter this route!
USBR 37	Michigan  3391787 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx ) No relation yet in Illinois nor Wisconsin	IL, WI, MI	A draft route is believed soon (last week of January 2014?) to emerge in Illinois (Chicagoland). Wisconsin appears to be waiting on completion of USBR 30 before progress on USBR 37 continues in that state. A route proposal in its entirety has emerged in Michigan (Upper Peninsula) as Michigan 35 from Menominee to Escanaba (continuing a potential USBR 37 in Wisconsin near or in Marinette).
USBR 50	2532740 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	DC, MD (done), PA, WV, OH, IN, IL, MO, KS, NE, CO, UT, NV, CA	Pending AASHTO approval in the District of Columbia, emerging in Pennsylvania, short and described in West Virginia, three discontiguous segments in Ohio, a still-to-be-corrected route in Indiana and largely complete in Nevada. Emergence of this proposed route in Pennsylvania doesn't yet include specific details except that it will include the Panhandle Trail, Montour Trail and some secondary roads. The eastern segment is speculative. In West Virginia, the route is quite short: through Weirton, Market Street Bridge onto SR 2 north, US 22 to Main Street to Cove Road to Harmon Creek Road to Colliers Road to Police Lodge Road to the Panhandle Trail trailhead. In Ohio, the route has been split into three separate relations: one near the Indiana border, another in the Miami Valley (MVRPC counties), and a third in Central Ohio (MORPC counties). These relations need to be updated and combined once the routes through Greene and Clark counties and through eastern Ohio meet with local approval. ODOT is preparing to submit a formal application to AASHTO on April 1, 2004. All local jurisdictions along the route need to pass resolutions in favor of the designation. As of February 8, 17 of 21 of the required resolutions have passed. USBR 50 in Indiana uses the Bloomington Bicycle Club's RAIN Ride route at http://www.mapmyride.com/us/west-terre-haute-in/ride-across-indiana-rain-route-485116. The route bypasses Indianapolis more to the south (Plainfield to Greenfield). The route through Terre Haute may require tweaking once discussions are complete. The current route through Indianapolis is incorrect and needs editing in OSM -- VOLUNTEER! In Nevada, USBR 50 is US Route 50 from Utah to Carson City, but it is unclear where it goes west of Carson City (US Business Route 50? Interstate 580? Trunk roads instead of motorways?).
USBR 50 Scenic	Ohio  2532436 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	OH	Complete, but awaiting completion of its "parent" route 50 in Ohio, and then AASHTO application.
USBR 51	Arkansas  2193959 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )  3319471 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	LA, AR, MO	In the early stages of development in Arkansas (only). In OSM it is now two discontiguous relations: one (between Bentonville and Fayetteville) is concurrent with the Razorback Regional Greenway in northwestern Arkansas, another (along US 71) is near Fort Smith. The Fort Smith segment may continue onto US Route 71B (from US Route 71), routing north of here is unclear.
USBR 66	3319297 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	CA, AZ, NM, TX, OK, KS, MO, IL	Incipient in California, New Mexico, Oklahoma. In California, USBR 66 is described by the "California Bicycle Route 66 Concept Plan (Draft)" document that was published on 8/15/2013 by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). Both the "Preliminary Route Concept" and the "Alternate Route Concepts" are now entered into OSM. Volunteers are working to harmonize with many local jurisdictions which (if any) of the alternate routes might become part of a more final route. There remains a gap at MCLBB. The short version is that a request is going up the chain. Being optimistic, permission to traverse Boll Avenue (daytime only, must have proper ID/details of passports...) has occurred before for a group of interstate bicyclists, so we might consider this approval to be no more than "pending." ACA says SCAG receiving a MOU as a next intended step seems about right, though of course these things take time. Walt in southern California got more jurisdictions harmonious on the routing accelerating the 66 effort by at least a year! One volunteer has offered to scout POIs along portions of the proposed route. Are there any geographical suggestions for her trip? In New Mexico, USBR 66 is introducing as an early proposed route from map version 1.02 published by Chris Marsh at the New Mexico Touring Society [2], and not yet endorsed by the NMDOT (as it undergoes significant harmonization). Please pay careful attention to the "Pueblo Etiquette" section of this map. VOLUNTEER! to edit a section: click the 66 relation link to the left, then the New Mexico link, then choose an editor from the Edit Relation drop down menu. You may wish to view the Beginners' guide. In Oklahoma, USBR 66 is seeded as E 1020 Rd east of US 281 at I-40 Exit 108: barely one kilometer of route. Dialog now among Bonnie Winslow (Oklahoma DOT) and Kerry Irons (Adventure Cycling Association) establishes that "...there is no existing state bike route 66 in OK.  It has been proposed via legislation but not turned into reality.  While the legislation reads like it is declaring Route 66 to be a bike route, that is neither the proposed USBR 66 route nor did it turn into anything concrete.  The best way to think of that bill passed in 2011is as 'enabling legislation.' The final steps of actually defining the details of a route did not happen.  Wheels are turning to make it happen now, but it did not happen then." This route cited in OSM by Paul Johnson as the current rcn 66 in Oklahoma isn't actually "this" (the 2011 legislation) route, nor is it the proposed USBR 66. It may be a good bike route, but it is not, strictly speaking, rcn=66 nor ncn=66. Hopefully, more clarification about what is meant by "wheels are turning" is forthcoming. (We agree it is better to NOT be confused, yet the present situation is confusing).
USBR 76	Wyoming  3319536 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	OR, ID, MT, WY, CO, KS	Incipient in Wyoming. The route will follow US 287 from near Jackson to Rawlins, then US 287 Bypass onto Wyoming 76 onto I-80 at Exit 221 to Exit 235 onto SR 130, then SR 230 to the Colorado state line, where it becomes SR 125 in Colorado. There is a challenge with traffic and road quality inside Yellowstone National Park. A possible routing would go through Jackson onto SR 22 into Idaho. VOLUNTEER to adopt and enter this route!
USBR 80	Arkansas  3319395 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	OK, AR, TN, NC	Incipient in Arkansas. It is unclear where the route goes east of Pulaski at SR 5 and South University Avenue: north to SR 10? Or east on what might be SR 5 or might also be US 708?
USBR 84	Alabama  1783198 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	SC, GA, AL, MS, AR, TX	An Alabama DOT document from 2009 says on page 12 "it is recommended that U.S. Bike Route 84 follow the same route as the state bicycle route (EW2)." However, Alabama appears not to be further developing this route nor does it have an active proposal to bring this route to AASHTO. This route is tagged with network=rcn + ref=EW2 + cycle_network=US:AL + ncn=proposed so the first two keys cause Cycle Map to display a solid turquoise line badged with turquoise EW2 shields, and the last key superimposes a dashed red line (with no red 84 shields).
USBR 90	3317166 (XML, check, manage, JOSM, history, view, gpx )	FL, AL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ, CA	Florida has issued a policy to develop USBR 90. Incipient in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana. In Alabama, USBR 90 is seeded as SR 188 through bayou La Batre. VOLUNTEER to adopt and enter this route! In Mississippi, USBR 90 begins as SR 53 between Poplarville and I-59. VOLUNTEER to adopt and enter this route! In Louisiana, USBR 90 seeds as US 190 in Merryville. Continuing eastbound on US 190 west of Merryville, USBR 90 is then SR 26 east of DeRidder, SR 104 east of Oberlin to SR 1161 and SR 29 to Ville Platte. In Ville Platte straight on Chataignier St., left on W. Lincoln St. the right on SR 3042, right on SR 375 and left through Chicot State Park to a left on SR 1173, left on SR 106, and left on SR 29. SR 29 through Bunkie and Cottonport, right on SR 114 to Hanburg (becomes SR 451) then right onto old LA 1 to Simmesport, right on Laurel St. then left onto SR 1 to cross the river then left on SR 418. Straight on Levee Rd. where SR 418 turns right, straight onto SR 419, right on SR 972, left on SR 1 to New Roads then left on New Roads St. which becomes Ferry Rd. Right on SR 10, left on US 61, right on SR 965, straight on SR 10 and left on SR 68, right on SR 952 (Bay St.) in Wilson. Turn left on Grant St. which becomes Old Norwood Wilson Rd, left on SR 19, right on SR 422. Left on SR 67 then SR 432, left on SR 38, right on SR 1050, left on SR 440 and onto SR 10 into Franklinton. Finally, turn right on SR 16, left on SR 1072, left on SR 60 into Bogalusa, right on SR 10 to the MS state line. VOLUNTEER to adopt and enter this route!

See also

• United_States/Bicycle_Networks