1. Get the Bike
Travel Fix on
Route 66

2. Ginny Sullivan
Adventure Cycling Association
Alan Thompson
Southern California Association of
Governments
Colin Bogart
Los Angeles County Bicycle
Coalition
2

3. • History of Route 66
• U.S. Bicycle Routes & the Adventure Cycling
Route Network
• Bike Route 66
• Planning a Regional Bike Route
• Advocacy’s Role: Outreach & Implementation

4. • Main Street of America
• Will Rogers Highway
• Est. 1926
• Eight States, 2,000+ miles, numerous alignments
• Removed from the system in 1985
• Attracting tourists from across the world!

7. 7

8. 8

9. 9

10. 10

11. What do you see at 10-
15 miles per hour that
you don’t see at 65+
miles per hour?
Everything!
11

14. Richard Moeur
Lon Haldeman

18. Adventure Cycling: Who We Are
• “America’s Bicycle Travel Experts”
• Started as Bikecentennial in 1973
• Largest cycling membership group in
North America: 45,000 globally
• Non-profit mission: to inspire and
empower people to travel by bicycle
• 32 staff and many volunteers
• Outside Magazine Best Place to Work
• Create some of the best bike route
maps, publications, special cycling routes
(40,000+ miles), tours in North America

19. 40,000 mapped miles and growing!

21. Why Designate National Bicycle
Routes?
Lon Haldeman
Melissa Thompson

22. Why travel by bike?
• It’s Hip!
• Liberating – independent or group
• Easy to set your own budget
• Fitness
• A chance to eat all you want
• Truly “learn the landscape”
• Easy to meet incredible people
• Great for communities
• Eco-friendly
• Pedal for a purpose
• Relaxing
• Exhilarating
• Life-changing

23. 10 Indicators: Bike Travel Blooming
• Economic impact
• State & Provincial interest & actions
• New bicycle travel websites
• Commercial tours up
• Cycling events up
• More cyclist campsites everywhere
• Mountain bike-related travel
• 30+ states working on USBRS
• Adventure Cycling network – 40K+ miles
• Record year for bike tourism

24. Bike Travel
Demographics
• Highly Educated
• Higher Discretionary Income
• Bike travelers spend more than
average tourist ($100+ daily
versus $60+ in 2005)
• Typically stay longer in an area
• Less direct impact on local
environment
• Green travel potential and
linkage with trains/buses
• Becoming sweet spot for 50-64
demo, which as of 2010
accounts for 43 percent of
increase in consumer spending

25. Where is Bicycle Travel Going?
Tourism Trends
• Chadwick, Martin & Bailey travel trends:
Active vacations
Sustainable travel
Experiential travel
• New York Times Travel Magazine
(March 2010):
50% of American travelers want a
culturally authentic experience

26. European Bike Travel
• Germany -- 3.9 billion
euros and 3% of tourism
sector
• Austria -- 317 million euros
and 5% of tourism sector
• Netherlands – 565 million
euros
• Switzerland – 120 million
euros
• European bicycle tourism
(including 2.8 billion day
trips) -- 54 billion euros!

27. A recent study for the European
Parliament (2009) concluded that
cycle tourism has a role to play In
more sustainable future for
domestic and international tourism,
and
“that cycle tourists bring major
benefits to localities which currently
do not enjoy mainstream tourism
development.”
Yet the barriers continue to be
• Poor integration with public transport
• Lack of consistent infrastructure
Demand tends to occur where good
networks of cycle routes exist; in a
European context this tends to be
Denmark, Germany and the
Netherlands.

28. National Cycle Network
2000
4,269 miles
85.5 million trips
2005
~10,000 miles
236 million trips
2008
12,000+ miles
386 million trips
Car displacement =
134 million trips (~35%)

31. • Velo Quebec – 1970’s
• Tours & Promotion
• Quebec Province: Mode Share Goals
• Significant Government Investment

32. Quebec and La Route Verte
• $160 million-plus spent on
bicycle travel along the network
• ROI: $134 million-plus per year
• Urban-suburban-rural system
• Hospitality certification program
• Virtuous cycle: as the network
grows, serious injuries and
fatalities have dropped by half –
and by much more in per rider
terms – total number of riders is
mushrooming in all demographic
categories

33. U.S. Economic Impact
•
Wisconsin - $534 million/year out of
state impact; $924 million direct and
indirect impact 13,193 jobs
Iowa - A University of Northern Iowa
study: biking benefits exceed $450
million
Minnesota - $427 million for
recreational road and mountain
biking – sizable chunk for tourism
NC Outer Banks - $60 million and
1,407 jobs ($6.7 million up front
investment)
Great Allegheny Passage - $40.6
million/ $98 per person per day on
overnight cycling travel

34. > $1 billion
annually

35. Bike travel and tourism are
growing in popularity
The potential?
• US Bike Industry -~ $6.5 billion
• Adventure Travel Industry ~ $89
billion (3 continents)
• Wisconsin and Minnesota alone ~
almost $1 billion annually each
How do we capture, organize
and utilize this growing clout
on behalf of bicycling?

36. Building USBR 66
~ State by State

37. Chicago, Illinois
• League of Illinois
Bicyclists draft a
route guide
• DNR assembles
stakeholders
• Trail Concept Plan is
developed

38. St. Louis, Missouri
• Regional Bike Plan
• Missouri Bike and Pedestrian Federation
• Missouri DOT: priority for USBR designation
Mel Selway

39. Oklahoma!
• HB 2049 Historic Route 66
Bike Trail
• Oklahoma Bicycle Coalition
Outreach
• Community & Tourism
Support
BUT will the DOT designate?

40. Texas: Historic
Bicycle Tourism
Trails
Bike Texas is proud to
encourage and support
the development of
these bicycle tourism
trails in an attempt to
foster and promote
Texas as a world class
destination for touring
cyclists.

42. Arizona
Draft Route by DOT
Outreach by Arizona Bicycle Coalition
Signing the Route

44. Planning the Route:
California
Alan Thompson
Active Transportation Coordinator
September 12, 2012 Southern California Association of Governments
44
Pro Walk/Pro Bike
Long Beach, CA

45. Southern California
Association of
Governments San Bernardino
Ventura
Los Angeles
Orange Riverside
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Imperial
6 Counties
189 Cities

46. Transportation Planning
New Plan every Four Years
 Examine All modes
 Fiscally constrained
 20+ year horizon
46

47. Transportation Planning
2008 Transportation Plan
 $545 Billion for all modes
 $2.6 billion for Biking/Walking
 Biking just under 0.5% of all trips in 2000
2012 Transportation Plan
 $525 Billion for all modes
 $6.7 billion for Biking/Walking
 Biking over 1.7% of all trips in 2010
47

48. How Does BR66 Fit in RTP?
Objectives
• Increase dedicated funding for active
transportation infrastructure
• Develop a regional bikeway network
• Establish Bike Route 66 as part of a functional
network of regional bicycle routes connecting the
region and serving commuter, recreational and
touring cyclists.
48

49. Relevant Law
MAP-21- allocates “Transportation Alternatives” funding to be divided
equally between MPOs and the States
AB1358 (California Complete Streets Act) – requires all cities to
include complete streets principles/policies when performing a major
update of their General Plan
Caltrans DD64R1 – which details how Caltrans will incorporate
AB1358 into their transportation planning process
SB375 – designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Integrates
land use decisions and transportation. Active Transportation, as a TDM
Measure can play a big role.
49

50. Existing Bikeways (2010)
50

51. Proposed Bikeways (2035)
51

52. BR66 and Regional Bike Network
52

53. Implementation
 Develop Draft Route Structure
 Recently traveled by ACA
 Develop BR66 Concept Plan
 Based on Illinois BR66 Concept Plan
 Includes draft Route Structure
 Use BR66 Concept Plan for Local Buy-In
 Resolutions supporting BR66
 Finalize route
53

54. Cities Along Proposed Route
• San Bernardino County • Los Angeles County Cities:
Cities: • Arcadia • Monrovia
• Barstow • Azusa • Pasadena
• Fontana • Beverly Hills • Pomona
• Hesperia • Claremont • San Dimas
• Needles • Duarte • Santa Monica
• Rancho Cucamonga • Glendora • South
• Rialto • Irwindale Pasadena
• San Bernardino • La Verne • West
• Upland • Los Angeles Hollywood.
• Victorville
54

55. Implementation (cont.)
 Once Route is designated
 Signage and Wayfinding
 Improve Roadway for bicyclists
 As part of normal roadway maintenance
 As stand-alone bikeway project
55 66

56. Sample Page from Concept Plan
Needles
In Needles, the preliminary Bike Route 66 travels south to North along Broadway,
turning west on Needles Highway/W. Broadway/River Road. As it passes Interstate
40, the road turns into the National Trails Highway. The Bike Route will connect with
Interstate 40 again at West Park Road.
Implementation
Implementation will involve finalizing the
route through Needles, posting signage
and possibly painting bike lane, and
installing bike racks in front of businesses.
Primary coordination will be with the City of
Needles and local business community.
It is important to note that leaving Needles,
traveling west, there will be long distances
traveled without access to water.
56

57. U.S. Bicycle Route 66
ProWalk ProBike 2012
Colin Bogart
Education Director

58. About LACBC
• The largest member-supported, non-profit
bicycle advocacy organization serving Los
Angeles County
▫ Founded in 1998 to build a better, more
bike-able Los Angeles County
▫ Promote cycling through education, community
building, policy, planning and advocacy
▫ Over 1,200 members
▫ Work with the 88 civic jurisdictions of Los
Angeles County, as well as with Caltrans, LADOT,
METRO and other agencies

59. USBR-66 and the Advocate’s Role
Why is USBR-66 Important to LACBC?
• Potential for Improved Bikeways
• Possibility for Improved Roads at Minimum
• Help to Establish Regional Network of Bikeways
• Connects Cities in LA County and Beyond
• Consistent with LACBC goals for County-wide bicycle improvements
Photo:
Tammy Shurr

60. USBR-66 and the Advocate’s Role
Why is USBR-66 Important to LACBC?
•Supports and Encourages Active Transportation
•Gives LACBC a chance to connect with business and economic development
groups
• USBR-66 Will Attract Tourism Dollars
•Tool to engage the public that we don’t normally reach
Photo:
Tammy Shurr

61. USBR-66 and the Advocate’s Role
Three Phases for Establishing a US Bicycle Route
• Planning
• Implementation
• Promotion
Photo:
Tammy Shurr

62. USBR-66 and the Advocate’s Role
LACBC’s role for all three phases
•Educate
•Push for Coordinated Planning, Implementation, Promotion
Photo:
Melissa Thompson

63. Coordinated Implementation
Who Should We Look to for Implementation?
• Individual Cities
• Metro
• County Public Works
• California Department of Transportation
• All of the Above?

64. Coordinated Implementation
Potential Partners (Beyond ACA and SCAG)
• California Bicycle Coalition (state DOT focus?)
• LACBC Local Chapters
Pomona
West Hollywood
Beverly Hills
Santa Monica
• CICLE
• Bike SGV
• Bicycle Clubs

65. Coordinated Implementation
Additional Role of LACBC and Local Chapters
•Educate and Advocate
• City Government
• Local Business Groups
• Members
• Public
•Ride It!! – Check alignment
• You Can’t Beat Local Knowledge
Photo: Lon Haldeman

66. Tactics for Education/Promotion
Some of the tactics that can be employed
•Newsletter Updates
•Website
•Facebook Page or “Event”
•Twitter
•Local newspaper – letters or op-ed
•City Council meetings
•Business Group meetings
•Bike Rides!! – fun and good for publicity!
Photo: Ride America for Safe Routes

67. Ginny Sullivan
Adventure Cycling Association
gsullivan@adventurecycling.org
Alan Thompson
Southern California Association of Governments
thompson@scag.ca.gov
Colin Bogart
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
colin@la-bike.org