AASHTO Journal - Four New Routes Added to U.S. Bicycle Route System

The Adventure Cycling Association, in partnership with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, recently announced a major expansion of the United States Bicycle Route System or USBRS, with four new routes being added in three states.

[Above photo by AASHTO]

The USBRS is national network of officially designated, numbered, and signed routes that use existing roads, trails, and other facilities appropriate for bike travel, Adventure Cycling noted in a statement. It will eventually encompass 50,000 miles of routes and open new opportunities for cross-country travel, regional touring, and commuting by bike.

The newest routes are USBR 37 in Indiana, USBR 51 in Missouri, and two routes in Kansas: USBR 50 and USBR 55. Adventure Cycling also noted that in 2024 some 3,568 miles in total were added to the USBRS, when the routes added in June 2024 are taken into account – bringing the total milage of the USBRS up to 23,186.

“State DOTs are focused on delivering a safe, multimodal transportation system that offers mobility for all,” said Jim Tymon, AASHTO’s executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

[Editor’s note: In December 2024, AASHTO released its “Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, 5th Edition,” which provides information on the planning, design, and operation of bikeways along streets, roads, and highways, as well as on off-street paths in urban, suburban, and rural settings.]

“Our partnership with the Adventure Cycling Association to continually expand the U.S Bicycle Route System is just one of the many ways states are meeting that goal,” he added. “The four new routes being added to the USBRS network in Indiana, Kansas, and Missouri further highlight the active transportation benefits that flow from the partnership between AASHTO, state DOTs, and Adventure Cycling.”

“Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, advocates and state departments of transportations, and support of our members and AASHTO, these four designations in Kansas, Indiana and Missouri bring us closer to the goal of an interstate bicycle travel network of routes equally accessible to all,” added Jenn Hamelman, director of routes at Adventure Cycling. She noted that digital maps for all designated U.S. Bicycle Routes are available to the public for free on the Adventure Cycling website.

In February 2021, AASHTO and Adventure Cycling signed a memorandum of understanding or MOU to formalize their now 17-year partnership to create a national 50,000-mile bicycle route network.

Twice each year, AASHTO’s U.S. Route Numbering Special Committee reviews and recommends to the AASHTO Board of Directors revisions, additions, or deletions to the U.S. numbered routes and Interstate Highway System.

The special committee also reviews and recommends the approval of new and revised U.S. bicycle trails that are critical to the expansion of the USBRS.