What Portions of the Interstate System are Open to Bicycles?

[ErmineNotyours]

I bicycled Interstate 90 from North Bend to Snoqualmie Pass and back, in 1994, when bike racks went on Metro buses and before I had a car.  Also, the parallel Iron Horse Trail was missing a trestle, so I had to detour from it anyway.  I never had to drive past an exit ramp.   I took each exit to take available Forest Service roads and other roads.  One time when taking an exit, I saw a startled wolf walk away from where he was right by the Jersey barrier by the exit, then stop and look back.  I had too much momentum to stop right there myself.  It was exhausting gaining that much elevation at once.  In the future, once I got a car, I would do the loop in reverse: park at Rattlesnake Lake and take the trail up to the tunnel.  Then go up to Snoqualmie Pass and down via forest roads and one segment of I-90.  It's much more fun to bike downhill.

You're allowed to bicycle most non-urban sections of Interstate in Washington, the non-black and red segments here.

[inkyatari]

I'm planning a bit of a bicycle trip I may or may not take next year, and I'm curious, is I-180 over the Illinois river open to bicycles?

[Kniwt]

I'm planning a bit of a bicycle trip I may or may not take next year, and I'm curious, is I-180 over the Illinois river open to bicycles?

This September 2017 letter (pdf) to IDOT from advocacy group Ride Illinois suggests that the official answer is no, but ...

At present, I-180 is certainly overbuilt as an interstate, for only 2500 ADT. Despite bikes being prohibited, Strava's heat map (labs.strava.com/heatmap) of bicycle trips by users of that app confirms at least some cyclist usage, not a surprise given the low traffic, four lanes, and lack of alternatives.

http://rideillinois.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/I180_Hennepin_Bridge_0917.pdf

[inkyatari]

I'm planning a bit of a bicycle trip I may or may not take next year, and I'm curious, is I-180 over the Illinois river open to bicycles?

This September 2017 letter (pdf) to IDOT from advocacy group Ride Illinois suggests that the official answer is no, but ...

At present, I-180 is certainly overbuilt as an interstate, for only 2500 ADT. Despite bikes being prohibited, Strava's heat map (labs.strava.com/heatmap) of bicycle trips by users of that app confirms at least some cyclist usage, not a surprise given the low traffic, four lanes, and lack of alternatives.

http://rideillinois.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/I180_Hennepin_Bridge_0917.pdf

Kind of what I thought.  IMHO, that's the one place in Illinois I can see bicycles on an interstate justified.

[froggie]

^ What about in East Hannibal?  IIRC, bicycles are allowed in the shoulder of the Mark Twain Bridge (I-72 over the Mississippi) between the MO 79 and IL 106 interchanges.

[inkyatari]

^ What about in East Hannibal?  IIRC, bicycles are allowed in the shoulder of the Mark Twain Bridge (I-72 over the Mississippi) between the MO 79 and IL 106 interchanges.

Good point.

[davewiecking]

Who compiled that data?  I can't believe that those segments of I-80 and I-70 are less than 10,000 AADT.

FHWA, via the respective (and required) state DOT data submittals.

Having been on it, I can definitely believe I-70 being less than 10K through Utah.

Especially west of the US 6 split at Green River, through the San Rafael Swell (the longest interstate segment without services–110 miles). East of that junction you can get some areas of higher traffic, especially during tourist season (though still less than 10,000 AADT).

I was on that section of I-70 (actually all sections) last week and was surprised to see an orange-background sign with a bicycle pictograph and "All bicycles must exit"  wording due to upcoming bridge work. Also saw a bicyclist pedaling along the shoulder near one of the peaks-that could have been in Colorado.