{"id":5734,"date":"2013-12-16T18:08:19","date_gmt":"2013-12-17T02:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/?p=5734"},"modified":"2013-12-16T18:08:19","modified_gmt":"2013-12-17T02:08:19","slug":"bicycling-a-journey-of-the-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wabikes.org\/index.php\/2013\/12\/16\/bicycling-a-journey-of-the-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Bicycling: A Journey of the Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reflecting on the year past, we\u2019ve much to celebrate and much work left to do growing bicycling in Washington State<\/a>. Thanks to our members and supporters we\u2019ve continued our 26-year success story <\/strong>passing bicycle safety legislation, growing the next generation of bike riders in our schools, and supporting local bicycle advocates and organizations in their bids to improve facilities and funding for community bicycle projects throughout our state.<\/p>\n

This year we launched a new initiative: expand bike travel and tourism in every corner of Washington!<\/strong> It\u2019s ambitious and lofty and in keeping with our vision to make sure everyone in our state bikes, and visitors far and wide know our hills and valleys, our city streets, our towns and rural outposts offer a variety of scenic pleasures for the experienced and novice rider alike. The #1 Bicycle-Friendly State in the Nation is an outstanding destination<\/a>! <\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks to your generous support in our Kickstarter campaign last summer, Cycling Sojourner Washington<\/i><\/a>, a multi-day bicycle tour guidebook highlighting nine of the most gorgeous rides in Washington, will debut in April 2014.<\/p>\n

More importantly our bike travel initiative will bring new life to bicycling in all corners of the state, generating better bike path and road links, community cohesion, and economic development. When our towns become more bike-friendly to draw visitors, they\u2019re more bike-friendly for the people who live and ride there every day!<\/p>\n

\"John<\/a>

John Pope, WA Bikes board member, in Anacortes.<\/p><\/div>\n

Nobody understands this better than volunteer and Washington Bikes board member John Pope.\u00a0 Two years ago John began volunteering to map USBR 10<\/a>, the state\u2019s first United States Bike Route <\/a>starting in Skagit County, where he lives, and stretching across the state all the way to the Idaho border. Having travelled by bike all over the western United States and served on his area\u2019s Regional Transportation Planning Organization, John was well-prepared for this opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the idea of an interconnecting network of bike routes that crosses our country and informs people about where the best and safest routes are across the U.S. and especially in Washington,\u201d says John.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past I had worked with folks from Adventure Cycling Association on certain sections of our region\u2019s Northern Tier route. When the national USBRS effort that stalled several years ago was rekindled, I knew I had to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The route that John is mapping will stretch from Anacortes across the Cascades through 18 communities in Skagit, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille counties (with roughly 25,440 total elevation climbing and coasting). It\u2019s 421 miles\u2014or 579.2<\/strong> if you count all the alternate routes, spurs, and bypasses John checked out to prepare the map. More routes will follow through the mid-section and southern portion of the state, going east to west, north to south.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my way of giving back,\u201d he continues. \u201cIt\u2019s my way of serving present and future bicycle riders and the entire community since the infrastructure for bikes will improve as we build this system. Bike travel tourism is also an engine for economic development since riders make multiple stops for carb loading, nutrition, and overnight stays.”<\/p>\n

Here are the benefits that mapping the USBRS in Washington<\/a> will bring to you, the community, and the entire state in the future:<\/p>\n