U.S. Bicycle Route 50

U.S. Bicycle Route 50 marker U.S. Bicycle Route 50 marker

U.S. Bicycle Route 50
Route information
Length: 688.8 mi[1][2][3] (1,108.5 km)
Existed: 2013 – present
Western section
West end: Near Terre Haute, Indiana
Major
junctions:
East end: Steubenville, Ohio
Eastern section
West end: Near Frostburg, Maryland
Major
junctions:
East end: Washington, D.C.
Location
States: Indiana, Ohio, 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 that runs from just outside Terre Haute, Indiana to Steubenville, Ohio, and from near Frostburg, Maryland, to Washington, D.C. The route is 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]

Current route

Indiana

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 has a brief concurrency with 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.[4]

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 Trail, Camp Chase Trail, Scioto Greenway Trail, Olentangy 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.[5] 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.

Maryland and Washington, D.C.

USBR 50 follows the Great Allegheny Passage and 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][6] U.S. Bicycle Route 11 currently terminates at USBR 50 in Brunswick, Maryland.

U.S. Bicycle Route 50A

U.S. Bicycle Route 50A
Location: Westerville – Alexandria, Ohio
Length: 32.3 mi[3] (52.0 km)
Existed: 2015–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.

In Pennsylvania, the Great Allegheny Passage, Montour Trail, and Panhandle Trail are being considered for inclusion in USBR 50.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vitale, Marty (October 28, 2013). "Special Committee on US Route Numbering Meeting Minutes for October 17, 2013 and Report to SCOH October 18, 2013" (PDF) (Report). Denver, CO: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Vitale, Marty (May 29, 2014). "Report to SCOH" (DOCX) (Report). Louisville, KY: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Vitale, Marty (September 25, 2015). "Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering Report to the Standing Committee on Highways" (PDF) (Report). Chicago, IL: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  4. ↑ "U.S. Bicycle Route 50 in Ohio". Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  5. ↑ Townley, Jennifer (April 10, 2014). "USBR 50 update" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  6. ↑ "New U.S. Bicycle Routes Approved in Maryland and Tennessee" (Press release). Missoula, Montana: Adventure Cycling Association. May 11, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Steel Valley Trail Council eNewsletter" (PDF). Steel Valley Trail Council. December 30, 2013. p. 3. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
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