On Monday, Sept. 13, in Chattanooga, TN, Adventure Cycling Association will co-host a collaborative and dynamic how-to workshop on implementing U.S. Bike Routes at the Chattanooga Convention Center (Room 6). This event is free and open to Pro Walk Pro Bike participants.
 
Whether you are a transportation professional, work on local trails, promote urban mobility or have an interest in the health and well being of the country, this workshop will bridge the gap for all interests and help participants get involved with building the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) – a system that will likely become the largest cycling route network on the planet.
 
The U.S. Bike Routes implementation workshop will be packed full of resources that will benefit all levels of interest. It will cover:



  • Selling the System: Economic, transportation, environmental and health benefits

  • Leveraging the Project: Building partnerships between state agencies and cycling/trail groups

  • Making it Consistent and Comfortable: Review of route criteria and development

  • How To: Steps to get started or participate in implementation of U.S. Bike Routes

  • Strategies: Gaining buy-in from local communities, transportation agencies, as well as natural and recreational resource managers

  • Collaboration: Coordinating across state lines
     

Feedback from the workshop will be incorporated into the U.S. Bicycle Route System panel session scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 15, from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. during the Pro Walk Pro Bike conference. Conference attendees can also visit the USBRS poster exhibit on Wednesday, Sept. 15 (3:15 – 4:00 p.m.) and Thursday, Sept. 16 (9:30 – 10:15 a.m.), to see which states are engaged and which routes are currently under development.
 
This workshop will be co-hosted by professionals already working to create this national network of cycling routes, including Ginny Sullivan (Adventure Cycling Association), Eric Weis (East Coast Greenway Alliance) Mary Anne Koos (Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals), Byron Rushing (Georgia DOT), Tom Huber (Wisconsin DOT), and Josh DeBruyn (Michigan DOT).
 
The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a proposed national network of bicycle routes that span multiple states and are of national and regional significance, linking urban, suburban and rural routes, and serving as a trunk line for connecting city, regional, and statewide cycling routes. This network will also connect bike routes across state lines.