The Virginia Bicycling Federation advocates for bicycle accommodations; promotes tourism and carries the Governor’s Bike Month Proclamation across state. The Virginia Bicycling Federation’s annual Cross State Ride celebrates the 570 miles of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, US Bike Route 76, located in Virginia. Adventure Cycling Association’s mapped route is signed in Virginia. Cyclists are asked to sign Cross State Ride registration book located at the Yorktown Colonial National Historical Park. Other registration books are located in the Mineral fire station’s break room, Lexington Visitor’s Center and Breaks Interstate Park camping office. If you ride all of the 570 miles you can fill out a ride completion form to receive a free Virginia Bike 76 pin.

Biking Bis, a bicycle touring blog, has a neat article about US Bicycle Routes in Virginia, and plans for new routes in Virginia and other states. VDOT bike coordinator Jakob Helmboldt talks about these new routes, and Virginia’s new state bike plan. Check it out.

Update: Adventure Cycling Association has issued a press release. This news is especially important for us in Virginia, as Bike 76 and Bike 1 are valuable assets for our state.

by Richard C. Moeur, via the APBP listserv

I’ve just received news that the AASHTO Board of Directors have voted at today’s session at their annual meeting to approve and endorse the concept and plan for the US Bicycle Route System.

Information on the US Bicycle Routes plan can be seen at:

http://www.adventurecycling.org/usbrs/

Sincere thanks to the members of the US Bicycle Routes Task Force, AASHTO and state DOT staff, and other partners who have brought this important initiative forward to where it is today. Special thanks to Jim McDonnell at AASHTO and Ginny Sullivan at Adventure Cycling Association for providing staff and operational support to this endeavor.

Here’s the text of the resolution as approved by AASHTO:

Standing Committee on Highways Proposed Policy Resolution (PPR-AM08)
Subcommittee on Design
Subcommittee on Traffic Engineering
Title: “Endorsement of the US Bicycle Routes System”

WHEREAS, thousands of bicyclists every year engage in multi-state and long-distance bicycle travel; and

WHEREAS, AASHTO has an established policy on the designation of US Bicycle Routes; and

WHEREAS, two US Bicycle Routes (US 1 and US 76) have been established by several States in accordance with this policy; and

WHEREAS, the establishment and signing of US Bicycle Routes provides important route guidance for bicycle travel; and

WHEREAS, US Bicycle Routes can provide tourism and economic development opportunities for States and local jurisdictions; and

WHEREAS, the Standing Committee on Highways established the AASHTO Task Force on US Bicycle Routes to engage in a systematic process, working with the State DOTs, to develop a corridor plan for a proposed national network of US Bicycle Routes; and

WHEREAS, the AASHTO Task Force on US Bicycle Routes has also developed a system of proposed route designations for this national network of US Bicycle Routes; and

WHEREAS, the States may establish, at their discretion, US Bicycle Routes within their State using the national corridor plan as a guide; and

WHEREAS, the Subcommittees on Design and Traffic Engineering, and the Technical Committee on Nonmotorized Transportation, have endorsed the concept of the proposed US Bicycle Routes Corridor Plan and the associated designation system as developed by the Task Force on US Bicycle Routes; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways hereby endorses the concept of the proposed US Bicycle Routes Corridor Plan and the associated designation system for use in designating future US Bicycle Routes through its Special Committee on Route Numbering; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force on US Bicycle Routes will work with the Special Committee on Route Numbering and the Subcommittees on Design and Traffic Engineering on developing criteria, or a process for States to use to develop criteria, for use in designating US bicycle routes.

As some of you may know, VBF has been working with Adventure Cycling Association and RABA to establish a registry or guest book system for Bike 76 riders in Virginia. Information collected from riders will help with ongoing signage, maintenance, and improvement of the route. If you’d like to have a registry at your own site, simply download the blank pages here and print them out.

We’ve had a lot of interest lately in US Bike Route 1, which traverses Virginia from north to south, passing through Richmond along the way. The official state bike map shows the route, but the Richmond section is not shown in detail. However the signage is good enough that anyone should be able to follow it through Richmond without problems.

Today Andy Thompson of the Times-Dispatch has an excellent article about US Bike Route 1, and a 17 mile ride he did on the Richmond section. This looks like an interesting ride for anyone in the Richmond area, plus the article is a good read for anyone interested in US Bike Route 1.

For more route information, see our Virginia Bike Routes page.