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Pleased as I am that the US Bicycle Route planners chose to run USBR through Empire, I am startled and appalled at their choice of route between Mackinaw City and Empire. (The maps can be found here.) For example, it takes riders on one of the busiest roads—a commercial artery—in northern Michigan, US-31 between Eastport and Elk Rapids, which has virtually no shoulder, rather than routing it on beautiful quiet roads along Torch Lake. It takes riders on a treacherous stretch of M-22 (Manitou Trail) between Leland and Glen Arbor (again, heavy traffic, no shoulder), rather than routing them on a gorgeous stretch along Lake Lelanau, then through Cedar and Maple City. These are stretches of road that I avoid at all costs because they are so dangerous.
What's the point of the bicycle route system if the routes they choose are unfit for bicycling? If I'm a bike tourist, I want a route that I can trust to be safe, such as the Adventure Cycling routes, which are reliably safe. The USBR system isn't reliably safe, at least not in northwest Michigan.
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Bruce, you need to know the reasons for these routings. In order for a US Bicycle Route to gain designation, the local road agencies have to agree to the use of "their" roads. In both cases you cite, the county road commissions would not allow the use of the roads you note. The roads you describe were proposed to the respective road commissions but for various reasons they would not agree to support their designation as part of USBR 35. The choice was then to either complete USBR 35 using state highways or give up on the project. The third possibility of course would have been to mount a public opinion campaign to change the position of the road commissions. After talking to some of the local bike groups we did not consider that a feasible project.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that the route can be changed at any time should someone be able to convince these road commissions.
Kerry Irons
Adventure Cycling Association
That's interesting. I know how frustrating the fight can be to convince local authorities and citizens that a bike route is a good thing. In Empire, there is lots of opposition to having the fabulous Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail use village streets. Purely NIMBY, but also short-sighted.
ReplyDeleteSo I understand the problem. But I'm still not sure routing bike tourists onto US-31 or M-22 is a good idea. I ride the area all the time, and I avoid those stretches. Perhaps with the next repaving of that stretch they will add sensible shoulders, as are found elsewhere on US-31, which will make the biking fine.
I have always found the Adventure Cycling routes to be outstanding, with only one particularly scary exception in Missouri, which was exacerbated by rush hour. I felt compelled to ride in the gravel next to the road because I was so frightened. But that two-mile stretch probably shouldn't have been in the route.
I will also add that there is an in depth and extensive planning effort to improve the segment of US-31 between Traverse City and Charlevoix. This is the segment of US-31 that is the least desirable.
ReplyDeleteYou can seem more about this effort here. http://www.traversecitytocharlevoixtrail.org/
Kerry Irons