The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has submitted U.S. Bike Route 37 to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to be designated as part of the U.S. Bike Route System (USBRS).
The proposed route connects the Erie Lackawanna Trail (USBR 36) in northwest Indiana to the Monon Trail (USBR 35) in central Indiana. The comment period for USBR 37 will remain open through Monday, May 10. Additional information and instructions on how to submit a comment are available on the INDOT website.
Indiana currently has four designated USBRs — USBR 235 (Indianapolis to Rockford) USBR 35 (LaPorte County to Jeffersonville), USBR 36 (Illinois to Michigan) and USBR 50 (Illinois to Ohio). Designated USBRs are intended for experienced long-distance bicycle riders, generally considered “touring cyclists,” who are comfortable riding on most types of facilities, including roads without any special treatments for bicyclists. This group also includes utilitarian and recreational riders who are confident enough to ride on busy roadways and navigate in traffic.
The United States Bicycle Route System is the national cycling route network of the United States. It consists of interstate long-distance cycling routes that utilize multiple types of bicycling infrastructure, including off-road paths, bicycle lanes, and low-traffic roads. As with the complementary United States Numbered Highways system for motorists, each USBR is maintained by state and local governments. The USBRS is intended to eventually traverse the entire country. The USBRS was established in 1978 by AASHTO, the same body that coordinates the numbering of Interstate highways and U.S. Routes.