U.S. Bicycle Route 50

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U.S. Bicycle Route 50 marker

U.S. Bicycle Route 50

Route information
Length1,257 mi[1][2][3][4][5] (2,023 km)
Existed2013–present
Western section
West endSouth Lake Tahoe, California
Major intersections
East endBorder, Utah
Midwestern section
West endNear Terre Haute, Indiana
Major intersections
East endSteubenville, Ohio
Eastern section
West endColliers, West Virginia
Major intersections
East endWashington, D.C.
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesNevada, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia
Highway system
← USBR 45 USBR 70 →

U.S. Bicycle Route 50 (USBR 50) is a west–east U.S. Bicycle Route. It consists of three sections: a western section from South Lake Tahoe, California, to Border, Utah; a Midwestern section from just outside Terre Haute, Indiana, to Steubenville, Ohio; and an eastern section from Colliers, West Virginia, to Washington, D.C. The route is ultimately planned to span the country, from near San Francisco to Washington, D.C.

History

The first segment of USBR 50, incorporating the length of the C&O Canal Towpath in Maryland, was approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on October 23, 2013.[1] On May 29, 2014, AASHTO approved additional segments in Ohio and Washington, D.C., including the remaining 3.6 miles (5.8 km) of the C&O Towpath.[2] On September 25, 2015, AASHTO approved the route through Indiana, as well as an alternate route in the Columbus, Ohio, area that had been part of Ohio's original route proposal.[3] USBR 50 signs were posted along the Ohio segment in the summer of 2016.[6] AASHTO approved the 160-mile-long (260 km) route across Pennsylvania in 2017[7][8] and the 410-mile-long (660 km) route across Nevada the following year.[9] AASHTO also approved a 2018 realignment of USBR 50 in Ohio, trimming 5 miles (8.0 km) from the route, passing through Hopedale and bypassing Alexandria.[10][5][11]

Route description

Lengths
  mi km
NV 409.6 659.2
IN 171.0 275.2
OH 308.3 496.2
PA 160 260
MD 204.5 329.1
DC 3.6 5.8
Total 1,257 2,023

Nevada

USBR 50 begins in Stateline, Nevada, across the state line from South Lake Tahoe, California, then follows U.S. Route 50 for 409.6 miles (659.2 km) to the Utah state line at Border, Utah, with a brief detour along State Route 722. Near the eastern terminus is a junction with State Route 487, which leads to U.S. Bicycle Route 79 at the Utah state line near Garrison, Utah. The Nevada segment of USBR 50 includes 12 summits over 6,000 feet (1,800 m). It passes near Great Basin National Park.[4][9][12][13]

Indiana

After a large gap in the Midwestern United States, USBR 50 traverses eight counties in Indiana, from the Illinois state line just outside Terre Haute to the Ohio state line outside Richmond. The route through Indiana roughly parallels the Historic National Road (U.S. Route 40), except for a bypass to the south of Indianapolis. USBR 50 briefly joins U.S. Bicycle Route 35 in New Palestine.

Ohio

USBR 50 continues through Ohio, traversing 11 counties to the Market Street Bridge that connects Steubenville and Follansbee, West Virginia.[14]

The route through Ohio incorporates a number of rail trails. From west to east, it follows the Wolf Creek Recreation Trail, Great Miami River Recreation Trail, Mad River Recreation Trail, Creekside Trail, Little Miami Scenic Trail, Prairie Grass Trail, Roberts Pass, Camp Chase Trail, Scioto Greenway Trail, Alum Creek Greenway Trail, Thomas J. Evans Trail, and Panhandle Trail. USBR 50 also runs along state and U.S. routes, especially in the more rugged terrain east of Newark.[15] In Xenia, USBR 50 shares a short segment of the Little Miami trail with State Bike Route 3. From Xenia to Columbus, it shares the Prairie Grass, Roberts Pass, and Camp Chase trails with State Bike Route 1, the Ohio to Erie Trail.

Pennsylvania

After a brief discontinuity across the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, USBR 50 mostly follows the Panhandle and Montour Trails and the Great Allegheny Passage as it crosses five counties to connect Colliers, West Virginia, with Frostburg, Maryland.[7] From West Newton to Rockwood, it shares the Great Allegheny Passage with BicyclePA Route S.[16]

Maryland and Washington, D.C.

USBR 50 continues along the Great Allegheny Passage and then follows the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath from the Pennsylvania state line near Frostburg, Maryland, to the Georgetown district of Washington, D.C., where it connects with the Capital Crescent Trail.[1][17] U.S. Bicycle Route 11 currently terminates at USBR 50 in Brunswick, Maryland and U.S. Bicycle Route 1 just across the river, and a little downstream, from USBR 50.

U.S. Bicycle Route 50A

U.S. Bicycle Route 50A marker

U.S. Bicycle Route 50A

LocationWesterville – Alexandria, Ohio
Length32.3 mi[3] (52.0 km)
Existed2015–present[3]

U.S. Bicycle Route 50A is an alternate route through Delaware and Licking counties northeast of Columbus, Ohio. During planning for USBR 50 in Ohio, this route was proposed as a scenic route. However, it was omitted from the USBR 50 proposal approved by AASHTO in 2013. USBR 50A was later approved by AASHTO in 2015. The route extends from Westerville to Alexandria over various local roads as well as the Thomas J. Evans Trail, Hoover Scenic Trail, and Genoa Township Trail (part of the Ohio to Erie Trail).[3]

Planned extensions

Plans call for the route to eventually run from near San Francisco to the current eastern terminus in Washington, D.C. West Virginia plans to fill in the current eastern gap across the Northern Panhandle with a 6-mile-long (9.7 km) alignment along the Panhandle Trail.[18] The California Department of Transportation plans to designate a route from San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe through 17 jurisdictions.[19][20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (October 28, 2013). "Special Committee on US Route Numbering Meeting Minutes for October 17, 2013 and Report to SCOH October 18, 2013" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 29, 2014). "Report to SCOH" (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (DOCX) on February 26, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (September 25, 2015). "Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering Report to the Standing Committee on Highways" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 20, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Madewell, Bob (April 5, 2018). "US Bike Route Application - US 50, State of Nevada" (PDF). Letter to Patricia Ng'ethe. pp. 68–73. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Griffith, Caraline (April 2, 2017). "Application for Designation of a U.S. Bicycle Route" (PDF). Letter to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  6. ^ Crawford, Laura; Sullivan, Ginny (March 22, 2017). "Building the Largest Official Cycling Route Network in the World". Adventure Cycling Association. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Pennsylvania Becomes 25th State to Join the U.S. Bicycle Route System" (Press release). Missoula, Montana: Adventure Cycling Association. June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  8. ^ Krauss, Margaret J. (June 22, 2017). "Ready For A Cross Country Trip? Grab A Bike". WESA.
  9. ^ a b "The U.S. Bicycle Route System grows to 26 states and over 13,000 miles" (Press release). Missoula, Montana: Adventure Cycling Association. June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  10. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 22, 2018). "2018 Spring Meeting Report to the Council on Highways and Streets" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. pp. 5–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  11. ^ Giauque, Becky (June 2015). "National bicycle route taking shape with Ohio project" (PDF). Transcript. Ohio Department of Transportation. p. 6. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  12. ^ Staff report (July 26, 2018). "Highway 50 designated an official U.S. Bicycle Route". Fernley Leader-Courier. Gannett Company. Retrieved August 19, 2018 – via Reno Gazette-Journal.
  13. ^ "UDOT Installs Signs Extending National Bike Route" (Press release). Utah Department of Transportation. October 25, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  14. ^ "U.S. Bicycle Route 50 in Ohio". Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  15. ^ Townley, Jennifer (April 10, 2014). "USBR 50 update" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  16. ^ https://pennshare.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d8e1c77ad2444268bb56bd2d2a85ec46
  17. ^ "New U.S. Bicycle Routes Approved in Maryland and Tennessee" (Press release). Missoula, Montana: Adventure Cycling Association. May 11, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  18. ^ Sullivan, Ginny; Snow, Saara (February 26, 2014). "Top Ten Anticipated USBR Accomplishments for 2014". Adventure Cycling Association. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  19. ^ "Caltrans USBRS Route Designation Policy (draft)" (PDF). California Department of Transportation. March 16, 2018. p. 3. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  20. ^ "Public Works Committee Meeting Agenda" (PDF). Amador County Transportation and Public Works. January 26, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2018.

External links

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