US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar

As reported in Bud’s legislative update,  officials had a chance to learn  about the benefits that bike touring brings to communities.  US Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar and Director of the National Park Service,  Jon Jarvis were in Richmond February 1,  to hold a tourism town hall meeting in conjunction with the announcement of a $4M  federal contribution to purchase additional acreage in Richmond National Battlefield Park.   

NPS Director Jon Jarvis Discusses $4M Award

Also attending the event at Willis Road Methodist Church was  Governor Robert McDonnell and VA Tourism President Alisa Bailey.

Located on US Bike Route 76, Willis Road Church has, for many years,  provided a well deserved resting spot for weary TransAmerica riders.  The church’s “Red Hut”  is popular for overnighting by cyclists from around the world.  Secretary Salazar was given a copy of their register book which documents the  comments of many of these riders.

Secretary Salazar fielded nearly three dozen questions from 100 statewide tourism stakeholders on how they could best partner to promote Virginia Tourism.

During the questioning, several speakers comment on bike topics including  the VBF’s Bud Vye and Tom Bowden.   They made the audience aware of  the unique tourism opportunities  that

VA Governor Bob McDonnell

bicycling adds to Virginia’s tourism portfolio.   Bowden also pointed out that the 2015 World Cycling Championships which will be held in Richmond and the estimated $100 economic impact this will  bring to the state.

Having the officials attend a tourism meeting at such a prominent facility along a US Bike Route was a perfect alignment of the stars for bicycle touring.  Hopefully, the messages delivered  will help increase mind share with state and national organization to increase efforts to get people out of their cars and see America from the saddle of a bike.

Smoke pours from the Virginian Markette in Troutville. Photo by Pam Stump.

US Bike Route 76, the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, has lost a bicycle friendly establishment. The Virginian Markette is recognized by the Virginia Bicycling Federation as bicycling friendly because of its speedy biscuit breakfast, large servings of Hersey’s ice cream, inviting picnic tables under cover, and a bathroom. Located on US Route 11, the store is between Buchanan and Troutville. Cyclists froom Roanoke regularly frequent the Markette as a destination.

The owners say they are insured and plan to rebuild. Read the story in the Roanoke Times.

Job Losses Plaguing Southwest VA – Trails Can Help

The Richmond Times Dispatch recently featured a series of articles on declining communities across Virginia.  The August, 14 edition featured Southwest Virginia, former home of booming coal and textile industries.  Many of these industries have closed, and locals are desperate to find work.

A number of hiking and cycling trails, including the Appalachian Trail, Virginia Creeper Trail, US Bike Route 76 and New River Trail pass through Southwest Virginia, bringing tourism dollars and desperately needed jobs to these communities. 

Trails like the A.T. and Creeper have become economic engines for small towns like Damascus, where work in traditional industries is hard to come by.  This type of tourism is so vital to  Damascus, it bills itself as “Trail Town, USA”.

In the Times-Dispatch article, one resident, Tony Blair, who returned to Pulaski, summed up the situation and stated the benefits of these types of trails quite well:

Blair, 65, was born and raised in Southwest Virginia before leaving to embark on a career as a geologist. He recently returned to take care of his ailing mother in Pulaski County and can’t find work.

“It’s a beautiful area, but it’s a really tough place. The textile industry has really gone down. It’s that and geography,” he said, adding that having to blast a road through the mountains is less desirable than building them in flatlands. “And maybe the image, too — that we’re all hillbillies.”

Blair added that one thing that Pulaski, and all of the Southwest, has to build on is its natural beauty, pointing to the New River Trail State Park – which meanders 57 miles through four counties along an abandoned railroad right-of-way — as a prime example.

“One of our best assets is the trail, because it’s kind of hard to move a trail to China,” he said.

Tony Barrett & Barbara Duerk

Tony Barrett, Maine board member for the East Coast Greenway, attended the Appalachian Trail meeting July 2011. Barrett cycled the Trans America Bicycle Trail end to end. In recognition for cycling the 570 miles of Interstate Bicycle Route 76 in Virginia, Virginia Bicycling Federation’s representative Barbara Duerk presents Tony with the Trans America Bicycle Trail pin.

The Virginia Bicycling Federation awards a commemorative pin to cyclists who have ridden all 570 miles of US Bicycle Route 76 in Virginia. If you or anyone you know would like to receive a pin for this achievement, please contact us.

We’re a little late in posting this, but better late than never! Slideshow courtesy of Joe Morgan, who also did a great job documenting route issues along Bike 76; and jazz musician Bob Peckman, who came along this year and last. We’ll have the 2011 slideshow posted soon.

From an Adventure Cycling Association press release:

The first new official routes in almost 30 years herald growing momentum for U.S. Bicycle Route System

Missoula, Montana — Adventure Cycling Association and the American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) today announced that AASHTO’s Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering has approved six new U.S. Bicycle Routes (USBR): USBR 1 in Maine and New Hampshire, USBR 20 in Michigan, and USBR 8, 95, 97, and 87 in Alaska — the first official U.S. Bicycle Routes to be established since 1982.

There are no Virginia routes on this list, but there could be. We’re working to identify new corridors. (Expect an announcement soon.)

Mostly we’ve been working to improve USBR 76 and USBR 1, in partnership with VDOT, AASHTO, and Adventure Cycling:

The Virginia DOT has been working over the past year to update their U.S. Bicycle Routes, submitting two applications for realignment in the fall of 2010. This spring, they updated sections of USBR 1 and USBR 76, and last week, AASHTO’s Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering also approved these realignments.

“We are taking advantage of emerging bicycle infrastructure as it becomes available, and making adjustments out of necessity in order to provide safer alternatives,” said Liz McAdory, policy and planning specialist for the DOT. “We are also working with our districts to continue to sign our existing two U.S. Bicycle Routes — 1 and 76. Our department has a long-standing working relationship with bicycle advocates, especially the Virginia Bicycling Federation. Through this partnership, we’ve been able to identify necessary changes and update the routes, and will continue to do so.” USBR 76 is also known as the TransAmerica Trail, the first mapped cross-continental cycling route in the U.S., produced by Adventure Cycling in 1976.

Last year, our Cross-State Riders carefully documented all 570 miles of USBR 76 in Virginia, from the Kentucky border to Yorktown. This year they’re doing it from the other direction. Proposed route changes and updates were drawn from our riders’ observations. We’re planning to do the same next year, with USBR 1.

To help us continue this work, please donate $10, or more, to the US Bicycle Route System fundraising campaign.

Donate $10 today!

Our 2011 US Bicycle Routes fundraiser has ended, with $330 raised by Team Virginia. Thanks to Mark Blacknell, Matt Camp, Terry Dorn, Arman Esraghi, Daniel Widner, Marshal Lefleor & 3 anonymous donors. Over $30,000 was raised in total by Adventure Cycling Association, which will go a long way toward establishing official US Bicycle Routes. Read the campaign summary and press release.

During National Bike Month in May, the Virginia Bicycling Federation is helping the Adventure Cycling Association to raise money to support the creation of an official U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). Recognition by AASHTO, federal and state governments, and having the routes numbered, signed, and mapped, would further legitimize bicycling, and help promote bicycle-oriented tourism. With 570 miles of Bike 76 in Virginia, as well as USBR 1, this is important for cyclists, and for our economy.

Right now, members of the Virginia Bicycling Federation are on our annual Cross-State Ride, to raise awareness of cyclists on our highways, to promote Bike 76 and USBR 1, and document any issues with signage and safety. We encourage anyone to ride along as we pass through your area. But if you can’t, you can still help by donating just $10, or more, to the cause. Please click this button…

…or use the widget at the top right of our website.

Even better, embed the widget in your own website! Then ask your bike club members and others to donate.

20% of proceeds will go to the Virginia Bicycling Federation, to help us continue our work as the coordinators of US Bicycle Routes in Virginia. We’re the ones who go out on the road to document issues with routing, signage, and safety; and work with Adventure Cycling and VDOT for improvement.

Any help you can give us is appreciated!

Please email this to your lists, and share it on Facebook and Twitter.

The Colonial Parkway will be closed to motor vehicles between Williamsburg and Jamestown on Saturday, May 7 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the 15th annual Pedal the Parkway event.

This year’s family-friendly event will feature a bike rodeo and helmet giveaways for youngsters. 

Rest stops at Archer’s Hope and the Jamestown Information Station at Neck of Land will offer refreshments.

Limited parking is available at Jamestown Settlement history museum and the Williamsburg Winery.  The event is free and open to the public.  It  will take place rain or shine.

For details, visit the Williamsburg Area Bicyclists  site.

Bike 76 in Virginia Pin - awarded to those who ride all of USBR 76 in Virginia

COME RIDE WITH US! Cycle Virginia then Kentucky! The Virginia Bicycling Federation is championing the 35th Anniversary of US Bike Route 76!

Goals include:

• Promoting US Bike Routes
• Promoting the 35th anniversary of US Bike Route 76
• Distributing the Virginia governor’s bike month proclamation in Virginia
• Presenting the Virginia governor’s bike month proclamation to a representative for the governor of Kentucky
• Document the ridership of bicyclists on the 76 route by encouraging sign in books at specific locations across the state
• Accumulate comments and tourism data from VBF pin request forms
• Encouraging promotion of US Bike Route, Trans America Bicycle Trail, in Kentucky and across the United States
• Encouraging the presentation of the Kentucky governor’s bike month proclamation to Kentucky localities and/or cycling organizations
• Have our proclamation travel by bicycle to Astoria, OR on the TransAmerica Bicycle Route.

A group of dedicated, passionate bicyclists, coordinated by Virginia Bicycling Federation board member Barbara Duerk, have worked since 2003 to promote interstate bicycle route(s) in Virginia. The Virginia Department of Transportation signed US Bike Route in 1976. In 2010, Cross State ride leader Joe Morgan facilitated an extensive review of 76 route signage. Recommendations were presented to VDOT construction districts. Most of the suggestions have been implemented.

The Virginia Cross State Ride incorporates carrying the Governor’s bike month proclamation, issued on May 1 each year. Localites along the 570 miles of the 76 route, favorite country stores and businesses post the proclamation. Tourism dollars are recognized as economic development, especially in the smaller, rural areas where the route is located. There is a Pre-ride this year on a proposed route connecting Virginia Beach – the Atlantic Ocean – to the current eastern terminus of the TransAmerica Bicycle Route at Yorktown Victory Monument. The VA Cross State Ride from Yorktown to Kentucky is from April 30th to May 7. In 2011, www.bestofVAbiketours.com is coordinating the Cross State Ride. Cyclists who cycle the 570 miles of US Bike Route 76, the Adventure Cycling Trans America Bicycle Trail, can earn a pin provided by the Virginia Bicycling Federation.

The Kentucky portion of the trip is May 8 – 17. The 10 day, 507 miles in Kentucky, is on the softer side. Daily miles are reasonable. The trip is supported with a van.

For more information, contact Barbara Duerk.

Another VA Locality Supports Trails and Bikeways

The Charles City County Board of Supervisors   unanimously passed a resolution  supporting bicycling and calling for an active transportation network. 

The resolution passed unanimously at the Board meeting on January 25.

This makes Charles City the fifth locality in Central Virginia – after Ashland, Hanover County, New Kent and the City of Richmond -  to pass pro-bike/ trail resolutions.

US Bike Routes 76 (TransAmerica Route), the East Coast Greenway  and the Virginia Capital Trail all pass through the county.