Build It. Bike It. Be a Part of It.

In celebration of National Bike Month, the Adventure Cycling Association kicked off its 3rd annual fundraising campaign for the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) yesterday, and plans to raise $50,000 by May 31st.

Using social media tools, a group of volunteer fundraisers, state partners, and leveraged funds from a diverse roster of business sponsors and community organizations, the Build It. Bike It. Be a Part of It. campaign aims to inspire cyclists across America to donate $10 or more to help build this national bike route network.

"Last spring, we raised over $30,000 for the campaign, and those funds were essential to the gains we made last year in this program," said Development Director Amanda Lipsey. "This year, we're aiming to grow the project, and so we're increasing the goal of the campaign to support that — asking our members to give, connect us to their networks, and participate in a much more significant way. Raising these funds will be essential to growing the USBRS — specifically they will help us create a 'best practices guide' to assist states implementing U.S. Bike Routes, and potentially bring on additional staff support." Presently, more than 40 states are working on U.S. Bicycle Routes.

Adventure Cycling starts the 2012 campaign with $13,000 already raised, thanks to donations from business sponsors. To date, business sponsors include Walz Caps, Adventure Center, Giant, Razoo, Stan's NoTubes, TeamEstrogen.com, Sun Bicycles and Origin-8, and WomanTours. Bikeflights.com, BOB Trailer, Brooks, Hans Bagworks, Moots, Osprey Packs, and Planet Bike are providing in-kind support.

Last year, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved six new U.S. Bicycle Routes (USBR): USBR 1 in Maine and New Hampshire, USBR 20 in Michigan, and USBR 8, 95, 97, and 87 in Alaska — the first official U.S. Bicycle Routes to be established since 1982. More approvals are expected from AASHTO's Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering during its May 2012 meeting in Traverse City, Michigan. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. A powerful voice in the transportation sector, its primary goal is to foster the development of an integrated national transportation system.

The U.S. Bicycle Route System is an emerging national network of bicycle routes that span multiple states and are of national and regional significance. These routes will serve as visible and well-planned trunk lines for connecting city, regional, and statewide cycling routes, and provide transportation and tourism opportunities across the country. The USBRS project is a collaborative effort that involves officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits, including Adventure Cycling Association, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc. Adventure Cycling has provided dedicated staff support to the project since 2005.

Learn more about the 2012 Build It. Bike It. Be a Part of It. campaign and make a donation at http://www.razoo.com/p/usbrs2012, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter @usbicycleroutes (#2012usbrs).


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com