Adventure Cycling Association has announced major expansions to the United States Bicycle Route System, including three completely new routes with one in Tennessee: USBR 121!
“Twice each year, state departments of transportation play a significant role in the expansion of the U.S. Bicycle Route System by designating new routes,” explained Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “Those bike routes are critical to enhancing and expanding the active transportation opportunities within the nation’s multimodal mobility network.”
From Nashville to Chattanooga
This designation fills in the current gap across Tennessee, providing a bicycle travel connection between Chattanooga and Nashville. USBR 121 connects existing routes: USBR 21 and USBR 23.
When riding on USBR 21, you cross the state of Tennessee from Cumberland Gap National Historical Park to Chattanooga and the border of Georgia. When riding on USBR 23, you begin in rural Robertson County in the north, passes through metropolitan Nashville, then continues south through the Civil War sites near Franklin, and ends in Ardmore at the Alabama border.
The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a developing national network of officially designated, numbered and signed routes that use existing roads, trails and other facilities appropriate for bike travel. It will eventually encompass 50,000 miles of routes and open new opportunities for cross-country travel, regional touring, and commuting by bike. It also benefits communities by providing new bicycle routes, enhancing safety, and increasing tourism and economic activity.
Digital maps for every designated U.S. Bicycle Route, including ones in Tennessee, are available to the public for free on the Adventure Cycling Association website.
