Organizers are making progress on designating two national bicycle routes through Michigan. As Michigan Radio's Lindsey Smith found out, they're hoping the routes will attract tourists to the state.
A group of avid cyclists is working to designate bike routes sort of like the U.S. Department of Transportation designates interstate freeway systems. You can ride on two of these routes in Michigan already – they travel mostly along county roads.
- Number 20 is an east-west route from Ludington to Marine City.
- Number 35 is a north-south route that stretches for hundreds of miles along the Lake Michigan shore.
Kerry Irons is with Adventure Cycling, the non-profit that’s spearheading the effort.
“Nothing moves by at a high speed. You don’t have to get off and stare at the lake, you know, get out of the car and stare at the lake, the lake is there for 400 miles. That’s the essence of bicycle touring and the driver behind this national network which is going to be a couple hundred thousand miles of established bicycle routes by the time it’s all done.”
Irons doesn’t expect the national network to be complete for another decade. But he does expect the state will sign off on route 35 this spring. Route 20 isn’t far behind… two-thirds of the approvals needed from local governments are in the bag.
