My name is Ginny Sullivan. I am an activist.
In 2008, when gas prices reached an all-time peak, interest in bicycling and other alternative forms of transportation burgeoned. Reporters featured stories on bike commuting; blogs added up the savings—in both financial and environmental terms; and bicycling and walking finally came to the forefront of the American consciousness.
And it is about time.
A bicycle is something we probably all have sitting in our garages; time to dust it off. Hop aboard. Get out there. Ride to work, ride to play, ride for change.
Today, it is easier than ever before. Urban bike networks incorporating off-road paths and bike lanes are springing up across the country as cities, states and regions become progressively more interested in the full range of transportation options, including planned and maintained bicycle route systems. Today, you can search for bike routes and find a plenitude of options, from urban commuter routes to long-distance touring routes. Tourism bureaus are seeing the opportunity for economic rewards based on low environmental impact tourism—especially for small rural communities. And thanks to the progress in other countries, we have research to prove that integrated networks that are accessible and signed attract people to bicycles and away from their cars. The National Cycling Network of the United Kingdom surpassed 12,000 miles of connected routes (up from 4,000 in 2000) and saw even greater growth in the number of trips on the network, from 85.5 million in 2000 to 338 million in 2006. This is good for the environment and the health of our people. In the U.S., these growing networks lack one thing: connection. That’s where I come in.
I want the U.S. to join those countries that have integrated national bicycle route systems, dedicating funding to projects that will positively impact the well-being of their citizens and the environment. I want bicycling opportunities for every age, interest and ability. America needs to step up.
Over 30 years ago, America was experiencing its first rebirth of bicycling as a result of high gas prices and a concern over energy consumption. During that time, a transportation-oriented nonprofit, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), established a program for U.S. bicycle routes. Think signed, mapped and well-maintained interstate bicycle routes.
But by the mid-1980s, only two routes were nationally designated: U.S. Bike Route 1 and U.S. Bike Route 76. Progress ended for a mix of reasons: lack of interest in cycling, an increase in highway building, a growing movement toward roads for commerce, and the gradual decline of walking and bicycling for utilitarian reasons.
Today, concerns over global warming, CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases coupled with health concerns associated with obesity and lack of exercise have again shifted public focus, and energy and gas prices have re-emerged as major issues as the economy rocks and sways in uncertainty.
The vision of creating a U.S. bicycle route system is also back. In my position as routes coordinator for Adventure Cycling Association, I started to coordinate the U.S. bicycle route system in 2005.
The work required me to reach out beyond the believers, working progressively with a group not typically associated with promoting cycling, a group that for over 50 years has been devoted almost entirely to gas-fueled travel. But after almost four years of effort, the U.S. bicycle route project is back to the fore with AASHTO, thanks in large part to dedicated volunteers who serve on a task force to oversee the coordination of the effort and to the growing public desire for a wider array of transportation options and a concern for a higher quality of life.
The U.S. bicycle route system will be the connective tissue that will bind together the regional, state and community cycling networks. It will connect the urban, suburban and rural routes across state lines and across the country. Imagine, for a moment, picking up a state highway map and seeing a U.S. bicycle route symbol; imagine sitting (on your bike, of course) at a stoplight in downtown Washington, D.C., and seeing the USBR 1 marker. From where you sit, you know that sign system could shepherd you all the way north to Maine, or south to Florida.
Bike travel can be a cross-country quest, a short multi-day excursion or an overnight visit to a neighboring community. Every year, I meet hundreds of people who travel by bicycle. But for every one that I meet, there are thousands more that I don’t, yet I see their inspiring stories appearing on websites, in books and in the mainstream media. When travelers come through Missoula, they sometimes stay with me. I give them a camp spot on my porch or a guest bedroom and always a warm shower. They tell me about their lives—what they left behind, their dreams for the future and, most of all, about their daily lives on the road. There is always the sense of living in the moment. Every day is unique, vivid and unforgettable. Transition is almost always involved—before I get too old, too tied down, before I take that job or while I am between careers.
It seems that America is in transition, too. It seems we finally recognize we must change our behavior. The bicycle must be part of that change.
Ginny Sullivan
New routes coordinator
Adventure Cycling Association
Adventurecycling.org
