U.S. Bicycle Route System

[NE2]

http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/usbrs/
http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/nbrn/AASHTOPurposePolicy.pdf

In about 1980, AASHTO approved USBR 1 and USBR 76, currently signed only in North Carolina and Virginia (though USBR 76 also officially exists in Kentucky and Illinois). In addition, the Mississippi River Trail uses a modified green USBR shield with MRT instead of a number, approved by FHWA in 1996.

In the past five or so years, the system has been revived with help from the Adventure Cycling Association (essentially a AAA for long-distance cycling), and recently routes in Alaska, Maine, Michigan, and New Hampshire were approved by AASHTO. The routes are intended mainly for bicycle touring for pleasure, and are designated along existing roads and trails; the only design standard seems to be that the routes should be paved (e.g. in Maine USBR 1 essentially follows the East Coast Greenway except where the ECG uses unpaved roads and trails).

USBR 1 was likely numbered because it parallels US 1, while USBR 76 was the route of the "Bikecentennial" ride. In 2008 AASHTO approved a draft numbering, following the same principles as the U.S. Highway System: http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/nbrn/FrontDesigFly.pdf Note that, except for 1 and 76, most main routes are multiples of 5. Many of the routes follow ACA touring routes or combinations thereof, much like the U.S. Highways replaced auto trails. In some states, they also follow existing state bike routes. Some changes and additions have been made since then, resulting in the current map: http://www.adventurecycling.org/default/assets/file/USBRS//USBRSCorridorMap.pdf In particular:
*USBR 3 was renumbered 9
*USBR 14 was created
*USBR 25 was rerouted from Cleveland to Port Huron
*USBR 30 had a gap across Michigan filled
*USBR 36 was created
*USBR 37 was renumbered 66 south of Chicago
*USBR 51 was added
*USBR 66 was created from parts of 80 and 37 (November 2010)
*USBR 80 was renumbered 66 west of Oklahoma City
*USBR 87 was added

The following routes are planned:
*USBR 1: Key West to Calais paralleling US 1 (ACA Atlantic Coast/East Coast Greenway, except going farther inland through the Carolinas)
*USBR 5: Savannah to Williamsburg paralleling US 17 (ACA Atlantic Coast/East Coast Greenway)
*USBR 9: NYC to Rouses Point paralleling US 9
*USBR 15: Miami to Syracuse paralleling US 41-19-220-15
*USBR 25: Mobile to Port Huron paralleling US 45-60-25 (ACA Underground Railroad)
*USBR 35: Natchez to Sault Ste. Marie paralleling NTP-US 45-60-31 (ACA Great Rivers and Northern Lakes)
*USBR 37: Chicago to Escanaba paralleling US 41
*USBR 41: Minneapolis to Grand Portage paralleling US 61
*USBR 45: New Orleans to northern Minnesota paralleling US 61 (Mississippi River Trail)
*USBR 51: New Orleans to Springfield paralleling US 71
*USBR 55: Rio Grande Valley to Pembina paralleling US 59-75
*USBR 65: Lubbock to northwest North Dakota paralleling US 83
*USBR 75: El Paso to Colorado Springs paralleling US 85
*USBR 79: Phoenix to Reno paralleling US 89-50 (ACA Grand Canyon Connector and Western Express)
*USBR 85: Southern California to north central Washington paralleling US 395-97 (ACA Sierra Cascades)
*USBR 87: Southern California to northwest Washington paralleling US 99; Skagway to Yukon
*USBR 95: San Diego to northwest Washington paralleling US 101 (ACA Pacific Coast); Valdez to Delta Junction
*USBR 97: Seward to Fairbanks

*USBR 8: Fairbanks to Yukon
*USBR 10: northwest Washington to Sault Ste. Marie paralleling US 2 (ACA Northern Tier and North Lakes)
*USBR 14: Seattle to Missoula paralleling US 10
*USBR 20: Astoria to Port Huron paralleling US 30-12-10 (ACA Lewis & Clark and Lake Erie Connector)
*USBR 30: southwest Montana to Portsmouth paralleling US 10-12-16-20
*USBR 36: northwest Illinois to Detroit paralleling US 20-12
*USBR 40: Yellowstone to NYC paralleling US 14-20-24-22
*USBR 50: San Francisco to Washington paralleling US 40-30-40
*USBR 66: Southern California to Chicago paralleling US 66
*USBR 70: Southern California to Colorado Springs paralleling US 91-50
*USBR 76: Florence to Yorktown paralleling US 20-12-287-50-166-60 (ACA TransAmerica Trail)
*USBR 80: Oklahoma City to southeast North Carolina paralleling US 64-70
*USBR 84: El Paso to Charleston paralleling US 62-380-82-278-78
*USBR 90: San Diego to Jacksonville paralleling US 80-90 (ACA Southern Tier)

[froggie]

Surprised you didn't mention that USBR 1 has now been designated in Maine and USBR 20 has been designated in Michigan.

[NE2]

and recently routes in Alaska, Maine, Michigan, and New Hampshire were approved by AASHTO.

[formulanone]

I noticed a East Coast Greenway sign about a month ago. (It was on Dixie Highway in Broward County.) So that's what it means...

[hbelkins]

From what I understand, there is an effort to sign 76 in KYTC District 12 in Kentucky.

[usends]

...USBR 76, currently signed only in North Carolina and Virginia...

Thought you'd be interested to know that there actually are a few USBR76 signs in Colorado.  Photo below courtesy of Matt Salek, at mesalek.com:


I've actually been seeing these signs for... I don't know, I'd say about 20 years... as I've driven down US 285 (apparently 76 follows SH 9 through this area, around Fairplay).  I don't know how this segment came to be signposted, or why the remaining segments in Colorado are not posted.

[NE2]

Thought you'd be interested to know that there actually are a few USBR76 signs in Colorado.

Strange. This seems to have not been approved by AASHTO, so it's akin to the US 377 extension in Oklahoma.

[NE2]

USBR 11 (Maryland to NC, probably on Skyline Drive/BRP) and USBR 21 (Cleveland to Atlanta, paralleling I-71 and I-75) were added on March 1, 2012: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/03/update-to-national-corridor-plan-march.html

AASHTO is set to rubber-stamp the detailed routings of USBR 35 in Michigan and USBR 45 south of Hastings in Minnesota at their May 18 meeting: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=6658.0

[hbelkins]

From what I understand, there is an effort to sign 76 in KYTC District 12 in Kentucky.

Verified this a few weeks ago. Saw signs for USBR 76 in Floyd and Knott counties.

[hobsini2]

I wish i knew the existance of Route 50 a couple weeks ago. My brother was cycling from Park City to Joliet via I-80 corridor on some gravel/earth frontage roads when possible. Once he got to Nebraska he was able to stay on US 30 and US 6 the rest of the way.

[NE2]

I wish i knew the existance of Route 50 a couple weeks ago. My brother was cycling from Park City to Joliet via I-80 corridor on some gravel/earth frontage roads when possible. Once he got to Nebraska he was able to stay on US 30 and US 6 the rest of the way.

It doesn't exist yet. But there is the "American Discovery Trail", not marked on the road, and I think you have to buy their guidebooks to get detailed directions: http://www.discoverytrail.org/

[NE2]

Probably the first USBR begin/end sign to be posted (on Water Street in Marine City, Michigan, just north of the ferry to Canada):

[agentsteel53]

never seen that shield variant before!

[NE2]

It's a recent addition to the MUTCD.

[roadfro]

That signs deviates from the MUTCD standard version though, which is black and white and has both the number and bike symbol in the "acorn". See http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Bike_1_%28M1-9%29.svg

EDIT: Never mind. The green U.S. Bicycle route sign pictured above (without the outer white border) currently has an Interim Approval through FHWA, and they intend to replace the current black and white sign with this green and white sign in the next edition of the MUTCD.

[national highway 1]

Probably the first USBR begin/end sign to be posted (on Water Street in Marine City, Michigan, just north of the ferry to Canada):

never seen that shield variant before!

It's a recent addition to the MUTCD.

That signs deviates from the MUTCD standard version though, which is black and white and has both the number and bike symbol in the "acorn". See http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Bike_1_%28M1-9%29.svg

I thought the shape of the bicycle route shield looked a bit similar to California, Oregon and Hawaii's SR shield. Looks like a guitar plectrum to me.

[NE2]

USBR 23 has been added to the plan, paralleling US 31 between Cullman, AL and Louisville, KY.

[mgk920]

I was at a WisDOT PIM a couple of weeks ago and was discussing with a local planner type the idea of applying to AASHTO for designation and marking of a mostly developed east-west corridor through the Appleton metro area (locally called the 'Friendship Trail', including a very impressive and popular re-purposed abandoned major railroad bridge over Little Lake Butte des Morts) as USBR 20.  Part of the proposal for the US 10/WI 114 upgrades that were discussed at that PIM includes a trail facility that would, IMHO, be an ideal natural link in that corridor.  He appeared to be very interested in that idea.

Although the concept maps linked above show a 'USBR 37' as being proposed to roughly follow US 41 in the Chicago-Escanaba, MI corridor, those maps also show it following I-43 along the Lake Michigan lakeshore between Milwaukee and Green Bay.  IMHO, and I did not discuss a north-south corridor through the area, a sweet 'US(I)-41' bicycle corridor is also developing here and might be a good 'reroute' for USBR 37, if not for designation as a separately-numbered route.



Mike

[Rover_0]

I wonder how 3dbrs (you heard it here first ) will be assigned--more like 3dus' (first digit means little in terms of spur or loop), or like 3dis. I also wonder if these "alternate corridors" will become USBRs in time.

I can see a good route from the approximate intersection of USBRs 70 and 79 (Cedar City, Parowan, or Beaver, UT?) up to USBR 76 near the Jackson Hole/Grand Teton area (USBR 179?).

[froggie]

I'm working on a proposal to submit to Adventure Cycling and VTrans for two USBRs in Vermont:  an east-west route across northern Vermont and a north-south route in western Vermont, both tying together some existing and proposed rail trails.  Haven't figured out route numbers yet.

[NE2]

I'm working on a proposal to submit to Adventure Cycling and VTrans for two USBRs in Vermont:  an east-west route across northern Vermont and a north-south route in western Vermont, both tying together some existing and proposed rail trails.  Haven't figured out route numbers yet.

The former could be an extension of 15 (which would replace NYSBR 11). Otherwise any free even number under 30 works.

As for the latter, there's an existing "Champlain Bikeway" signed along roads: http://www.champlainbikeways.org/ http://files.lesmarcheurs.com/200003936-06ddd08565/Bikeways.jpg South of there, I assume you're referring to the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail through Granville?

[froggie]

Didn't want to use an already-existing/actively planned number, which would rule out 8, 10, 14, and 20 for the east-west route.  Though I guess there's precedent with 87 and 95 out west.  Could be either 6 or an eastern 10.

Was going to suggest a 3-digit route for the north-south route.  Probably 109, since it could tie into USBR 9 where 9 jumps into Connecticut.

For the north-south route, yes I was considering the Delaware and Hudson, though it doesn't exist as a rail trail in New York.  Also wanted to work an alternative alignment since the ferry between Colchester and Grand Isle only operates for a month in the summer.

In both cases, I'm working on both an alignment that could be "signed today", and an ultimate alignment that utilizes the planned (but not yet existing) rail trails...the Lamoille Valley Trail being chief among them.

[NE2]

I doubt USBR 9 will actually jog into Connecticut; NYSBR 9 is currently signed to cross the Hudson on the GWB (yes, there are NYSBR 9 signs in New Jersey, though they're really just generic state bike route 9 shields).

[froggie]

Basing that off the national planning map that shows USBR 9 going into Connecticut.

[Molandfreak]

Not sure why, but I prefer Michigan's shield to the standard one!

I wonder how 3dbrs (you heard it here first ) will be assigned--more like 3dus' (first digit means little in terms of spur or loop), or like 3dis. I also wonder if these "alternate corridors" will become USBRs in time.

I can see a good route from the approximate intersection of USBRs 70 and 79 (Cedar City, Parowan, or Beaver, UT?) up to USBR 76 near the Jackson Hole/Grand Teton area (USBR 179?).

Part of me wishes that they would be more like 3dis or they would at least allow intrastate routes.