U.S. Bicycle Route 50 Explained

Country:USA
Type:USBR
Route:50
Length Ref:[1] [2] [3]
Established:2013
Section1:Western section
Direction A1:West
Terminus A1: at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
Junction1:
Direction B1:East
Terminus B1:Border, Utah
Section2:Eastern section
Direction A2:West
Terminus A2:Near Terre Haute, Indiana
Junction2:
Direction B2:East
Terminus B2:Washington, D.C.
States:California, Nevada, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia
Browse:
Previous Route:45
Next Route:70

U.S. Bicycle Route 50 (USBR 50) is a planned east–west cross country U.S. Bicycle Route that currently consists of two discontiguous sections: a western section between San Francisco and Border, Utah, and an eastern section between Terre Haute, Indiana, and Washington, D.C.

Route description

|-| CA || 233disp=tableNaNdisp=table|-| NV || 409.6disp=tableNaNdisp=table|-| IN || 171disp=tableNaNdisp=table|-| OH || 309.6disp=tableNaNdisp=table|-| WV || 9.35disp=tableNaNdisp=table|-| PA || 160disp=tableNaNdisp=table|-| MD || NaNdisp=tableNaNdisp=table|-| DC || 3.6disp=tableNaNdisp=table|- class="sortbottom"! scope="row" | Total || NaNdisp=tableNaNdisp=table|}

California

USBR 50 begins in San Francisco. It incorporates a ferry ride across the San Francisco Bay, the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail in Sacramento County, the El Dorado Trail in El Dorado County, and the Mormon Emigrant Trail before reaching South Lake Tahoe.

Nevada

USBR 50 crosses the state line at Stateline, Nevada, then follows U.S. Route 50 for to the Utah state line at Border, Utah, with a brief detour along State Route 722. Near the eastern terminus is a junction with State Route 487, which leads to U.S. Bicycle Route 79 at the Utah state line near Garrison, Utah. The Nevada segment of USBR 50 includes 12 summits over . It passes near Great Basin National Park.[4] [5]

Indiana

After a large gap in the Midwestern United States, 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 briefly joins 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.[6]

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, Camp Chase Trail, Scioto 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.[7] 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 local segments the Ohio to Erie Trail with U.S. Bicycle Route 21 and State Bike Route 1.

West Virginia

This is in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. The route begins at the Market Street Bridge at its crossing the Ohio River and connects to the Panhandle Trail and continues on into Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania

USBR 50 mostly follows the Panhandle and Montour Trails and the Great Allegheny Passage as it crosses five counties to connect Colliers, West Virginia, with Frostburg, Maryland. From West Newton to Rockwood, it shares the Great Allegheny Passage with BicyclePA Route S.[8]

Maryland and Washington, D.C.

From the Pennsylvania state line near Frostburg, USBR 50 continues along the Great Allegheny Passage and then follows the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath to the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. U.S. Bicycle Route 11 currently terminates at USBR 50 in Brunswick, Maryland. After crossing the Washington, D.C. line, the Arizona Avenue Bridge, carrying the Capital Crescent Trail, eventually passes over USBR 50, after which the final three miles of the route run close and parallel to the Capital Crescent Trail.[9] U.S. Bicycle Route 1 is accessible close to the terminus of USBR 50 south of the Potomac River in Virginia.

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. On May 29, 2014, AASHTO approved additional segments in Ohio and Washington, D.C., including the remaining of the C&O Towpath. 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. USBR 50 signs were posted along the Ohio segment in the summer of 2016.[10] AASHTO approved the 160NaN route across Pennsylvania in 2017[11] [12] and the 410NaN route across Nevada the following year.[13] AASHTO also approved a 2018 realignment of USBR 50 in Ohio, trimming from the route, passing through Hopedale and bypassing Alexandria.[14] In the Fall 2018, AASHTO approved a realignment within London, Ohio, adding to the route. AASHTO approved the route across West Virginia at their Fall 2019 meeting.

Auxiliary routes

U.S. Bicycle Route 50A

State:OH
Type:USBR
Route:50A
Established:2015
Length Mi:32.3
Direction A1:West
Location:WestervilleAlexandria, Ohio

U.S. Bicycle Route 50A (USBR 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).

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. US Bike Route Application - US 50, State of Nevada. Bob. Madewell. Patricia Ng'ethe. April 5, 2018. August 19, 2018. 68–73. https://route.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/004_USRN_Part-2-IN-NV.pdf#page=68. PDF.
  2. Application for Designation of a U.S. Bicycle Route. Caraline. Griffith. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. April 2, 2017. August 19, 2018. https://route.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/004_USRN_Part-3-NC-OK.pdf#page=26. PDF.
  3. News: South Lake Tahoe is start to 1st US Bicycle Route in California. Tahoe Daily Tribune. South Lake Tahoe, California. Swift Communications. September 2, 2020. January 3, 2021.
  4. News: Highway 50 designated an official U.S. Bicycle Route. Staff report. Fernley Leader-Courier. Gannett Company. Reno Gazette-Journal. July 26, 2018. August 19, 2018.
  5. UDOT Installs Signs Extending National Bike Route. Utah Department of Transportation. October 25, 2016. August 19, 2018.
  6. Web site: U.S. Bicycle Route 50 in Ohio. Ohio Department of Transportation. March 17, 2015.
  7. Web site: USBR 50 update. Jennifer. Townley. Ohio Department of Transportation. April 10, 2014. June 1, 2014. PDF.
  8. Web site: ArcGIS Web Application.
  9. New U.S. Bicycle Routes Approved in Maryland and Tennessee. Adventure Cycling Association. Missoula, Montana. May 11, 2013. May 11, 2013.
  10. Web site: Building the Largest Official Cycling Route Network in the World. Laura. Crawford. Ginny. Sullivan. Adventure Cycling Association. March 22, 2017. April 26, 2018.
  11. Pennsylvania Becomes 25th State to Join the U.S. Bicycle Route System. Missoula, Montana. Adventure Cycling Association. June 12, 2017. June 15, 2017.
  12. News: Ready For A Cross Country Trip? Grab A Bike.. Margaret J.. Krauss. WESA. June 22, 2017.
  13. The U.S. Bicycle Route System grows to 26 states and over 13,000 miles. Missoula, Montana. Adventure Cycling Association. June 12, 2018. August 19, 2018.
  14. News: National bicycle route taking shape with Ohio project. Becky. Giauque. Transcript. Ohio Department of Transportation. June 2015. August 20, 2018. 6. PDF.