A bicycle friendly Michigan

is a _________________
________ Michigan
Jim Sayer
Adventure Cycling Association
www.adventurecycling.org

Michigan Bicycle Summit

Lansing, MI
March 26, 2011
A bicycle friendly Michigan
is a prosperous and
attractive Michigan
Jim Sayer
Adventure Cycling Association
www.adventurecycling.org

Michigan Bicycle Summit

Lansing, MI
March 26, 2011
Adventure Cycling: Who We Are

•  “America’s Bicycle Travel Experts”

•  BRAIN: “King of the Road”

•  Largest cycling membership group in

North America: 45,000 globally

•  Non-profit mission: to inspire people of

all ages to travel by bicycle

•  28 staff and many volunteers

•  Outside Magazine Best Place to Work

Come
Come Visit!
visit! 150
150East Pine
E. Pine Street
Street
26,000+!
Dawn of the Sierra Cascades Route
2,400 miles
40,699 miles
Adventure Cycling Tours
•  Self-Contained
•  Instructional
•  Van-Supported
•  Inn-to-Inn
•  Supported
•  “Relaxed” & Family
•  The “Real” Montana
•  Great Lakes
•  Pacific Coast
•  Atlantic Coast
•  Tetons & Yellowstone
•  Vermont
X-Country self-contained and van-supported
X-Country self-contained and van-supported
X-Country self-contained and van-supported
ADVOCACY

•  Rumble Strips

•  Equal treatment of bicycles

•  Example: Passenger Facility Charges

•  Multi-Modal Access

•  Amtrak

•  Motor coaches

•  Airlines

•  Economic impact study and promotion

AMERICA BIKES

•  National Coalition of eight organizations

including ACA, LAB, RTC, IMBA

•  “When America Bikes, America Benefits”

•  Focused on Federal transportation bill

•  Major support from Bikes Belong, based

in Colorado
Adventure Cycling is one of the greatest
nonprofits in the world. One would be pressed to
find a more economical way to find adventure
than to get a map, point to a spot, load the bike
up and roll. The slower one moves on a trip, the
more beautiful things one sees.

-- Rodney Jordan on Facebook

Where are bike travel
and tourism going?
Bush
Why travel by bike?
Why Bicycle Travel?

•  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
“During this economic crisis we have heard a lot
about people getting back to basics.  From
gardening, to carpooling and bicycling, to swap
meets and barter, to mending clothes and
appliances instead of throwing them out and buying
new, people are rediscovering traditional values of
frugality and community.  The unanswered question
is how much of this will stick once the economy
recovers and people find themselves feeling a bit
flush.”

John Sterman
Director
MIT System Dynamics Group, Sloan School of Management
$105/bbl for oil and inching up (what happens as recovery picks up?)
Gas-Free Vacations
The Best Possible Diet www.adventurecycling.org
Community www.adventurecycling.org
Generosity www.adventurecycling.org
Satisfaction www.adventurecycling.org
Why bike travel for communities?
•  Economic development – substantial
and clean

•  Reputation booster – attractiveness and

friendliness

•  Synergy with local cycling needs

•  Use same facilities for commuting,

schools, local purposes

•  Safe cycling conditions and results

•  Transportation results

•  Energy consumption and greenhouse

gas reduction

•  Inexpensive to implement
Bike Travel Demographics
•  Highly Educated

•  Higher Discretionary Income

•  Bike travelers spend more than

average tourist (eg $100+ daily versus
$60+ in 2005)

•  Typically stay longer in an area

•  Less direct impact on local

environment

•  “Sustainable travel” potential and

linkage with trains/buses

•  Becoming sweet spot for 50-64 demo,

which by 2010 will account for 43
percent of increase in consumer
spending
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!
> $1 billion annually
>$200+ million annually
U.S. Bicycle Travel

• Wisconsin --$535 million/year out of state

impact $924 million overall impact.and
13,193 jobs

• Oregon and South Dakota – looking at

bike tourism studies

• Minnesota -- $1 billion for on-road and off-

road bicycle tourism

• Lanesboro, MN– 800 people – 60 mile rail-

trail system -- $25 million economic
impact

• Localized impacts of networks: Outer

Banks -- $60 million and 1,407 jobs ($6.7
million up front investment)); Great
Allegheny Passage and C&O Towpath –
$40.6 million/ $98 per person per day on
overnight cycling travel
Netherlands

Western Australia

Norway

Switzerland

Denmark

Germany

•  76,000 km of bikeways

•  12% “mode split”

 Véloroute des Bleuets

Le P’Tit Train du Nord

Le Petit Témis

Ligne du Mocassin
Parcours des Anses

L’Estriade Les Grandes Fourches

4,000 Km
Great ROI
$160M (over 12 years)
$134M / year
Parcours des Anses (Lévis)

Véloroute de la Chaudière

Le Petit Témis
 •  More bikeways = more cyclists = safer cycling

Cyclists killed or severely injured in road accidents Lenght of Québec’s bicycle network
 1992 1995’s target 2000
early work 2,500 miles 5,000 miles
 Llanelli Coastal Park,
4 Celtic Trail
2 Brighton
2008
The National Cycle Network
Open National Route
Proposed National Route
2008
The National Cycle Network
Open National Route
Proposed National Route
Regional Route
2008
The National Cycle Network
Open National Route
Proposed National Route
Regional Route
Local Route
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%)
Local Investments and Actions

•  Bike Friendly Communities across

Michigan

•  Clear, distinctive signage and parking

•  Expand and maintain trail system.

•  Ensure connecting public roads are

cycling-friendly – shoulders, entry points.

•  Bicycle TRAVEL Friendly Communities

•  Bicycle Hospitality Networks (example:

Bienvenue Cyclistes) and cyclist-only lodging

•  Creative use of social media and marketing

•  Bike Overnights

•  Brand local and connecting routes

•  Incorporate cycling in economic plans

Complete Streets
Active Transportation Systems
Bicycle Friendly Accommodations

Locked bike shelter

Hearty meals
Tools
Information (repair, bike
rental, suggested routes,
etc.)
Bicycle Friendly Campgrounds

No reservation needed
Shelter
Tools
Information (repairs, bike
rental, suggested routes,
etc.)
Bike
Overnights
State and Federal Investment,
Planning and Policy
•  Support for federal and state funding
programs to facilitate bicycling and active
transportation – such as transportation
enhancements.

•  “Share the road” signage, safe

shoulders on highways, appropriate
rumble strips

•  Improved state web and print promotion

of Michigan as a biking haven

•  Passenger Facility Charges

•  Inter-modal improvements

•  Statewide trail and route systems

•  US Bicycle Route System

U.S. Investment

•  2005-09: $4.5 billion dedicated

•  Enhancements

•  Non-motorized pilot projects

•  Safe Routes to Schools

•  More possible: $68 billion

•  No “fair share for safety”

State and Federal Investment,
Planning and Policy
•  Support for federal and state funding
programs to facilitate bicycling and active
transportation – such as transportation
enhancements.

•  “Share the road” signage, safe

shoulders on highways, appropriate
rumble strips

•  Improved state web and print promotion

of Michigan as a biking haven

•  State bicycle tourism conference

•  Statewide trail and route systems

•  US Bicycle Route System

Passenger Facility Charges
Inter-modal – train and bus
 ** A Nation of Networks **

** Connected, safe and convenient facilities for

cycling from city center to countryside **
•  Pennsylvania state Z
Y
designated routes
•  Adventure Cycling’s L
A
Northern Tier not shown
G
S
E

Arkansas
Memphis to Fort Smith cross state route from the Dept. of
Parks & Tourism

US-70, 49, 107, 64, AR-147, 50, 70, 1, 284, 306, 38, 31,
319, 60, 236, 89, 10, 176, 9, 154, 7, 155, 22
Per advocacy groups
AR-7 a western-central north-south route
US-71 western side north-south route
AR-1 eastern side north-south route
US-62 northern side east-west route
US-82 southern side east-west route
Arizona - NO DESIGNATED CROSS STATE ROUTES
Description of possible routes based on suitability map

Route
US-160 US-89 to eastern border
AZ-264 US-160 to eastern border
AZ-87 AZ-264 to AZ-260
US-191 US-160 to southern border
US-163 US-160 to northern border
AZ-85 I-8 to southern border
AZ-86 AZ-85 to I-19
AZ-286 AZ-86 to southern border
AZ-95/
US-95 AZ-72 to I-8
US-93 Hoover Dam to US-60
US-60 I-10 to US-93
US-89 I-40 to northern border
US-60 US-70 to eastern border
US-70 US-60 to eastern border
US-89A US-89 to northern border
AZ-389 US-89A to northern border
US-8 Western border to I-10
Florida - NO DESIGNATED CROSS
STATE ROUTES
No cycling suitability map
Doesn’t include ACA routes
 Minnesota
Taconite State Trail
Paul Bunyan State Trail

Heartland State Trail Soo Line Trail

Willard Munger Trail

Central Lakes Trail

Luce Line State Trail

Minnesota Valley State Trail

Put it all together…
Inventory of existing
routes overlaid by the
proposed corridor system
 USBR M1-9
USBR M1-9 Alternate
MUTCD NCUTCD
2009
The winding
road forward
•  Inventory completed
•  National Corridor Plan approved
•  Designation and application
process in place
•  Congressional interest
•  New partnerships – APWA, ASHE,
League of Cities
•  States surveyed -– only one with no
interest
•  30 active states plus DC
•  Who will be first to establish a new
US Bicycle Route?
Active States
•  Michigan
•  Virginia
•  Florida
•  Georgia
•  Maine
•  Maryland
•  Missouri
•  Minnesota
•  New Hampshire
•  Ohio
•  Oregon
•  Washington
•  Alaska
•  Wisconsin … and more!
Georgia
and
Florida
 Texas Bicycle Tourism Trails
•  El Camino
Real

•  Old Texas
Hwy 20

•  Proposed
Crockett Trail
– Northeast Texas
Segment
Michigan:
USBRs 20 & 35

•  Local interest and

support – 23 towns

•  Mix of existing facilities

+Multi-Use Pathways
+Paved Shoulders
+Low-volume roads

•  Adjacent state links

•  Local groups and

volunteers
Overall: Remarkable Progress
•  30 states working on implementation

•  Innovative state-level engagement

•  Michigan and New England lead the way

•  California – legislated state network?

•  Oregon – coordinate with scenic

bikeways program

•  East Coast Greenway – triple route? –

city-country linkages

•  Opening new partnerships galore for

bicycling: DOT’s, American Public Works
Association, National Association of
Counties, new linkage with trails
community for hybrid routes

•  Congressional language?
Michigan
•  How can you make
the cost-benefit case?

•  How can you

expedite the
development of an
integrated bike system
from the local to state
to regional levels?

•  How can you grow

the promotion of
biking and bike travel
across Michigan?
Your thoughts? www.adventurecycling.org