HUMBOLDT — Two of Allen County’s most popular recreational trails may soon be integrated into a bicycle route system spanning the state.
Humboldt City Council members were given a glimpse of what organizers hope will become USBR 55, as part of the expanded US Bicycle Route System.
The route would include the Southwind Rail Trail, which connects Iola and Humboldt along the old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad corridor, as well as the Prairie Spirit Trail, which follows the same path farther north to Ottawa.
The goal is to provide detailed bicycling routes for traveling cyclists along the east side of Kansas, Kerry Irons of the Adventure Cycling Association, wrote in an email to the city.
The proposed route is just that — a proposal — Irons noted. Local agencies, such as Humboldt’s City Council, would have the final say on how routes are determined.
The proposal utilizes trails already in existence or lightly traveled public roads, and would enter Humboldt from the north via Southwind, then west on Hawaii Road before turning back south to Humboldt via 14th Street, Central Street, 13th Street, Bridge Street and onto Georgia Road before heading back south through Petrolia and into Neosho County.
The entire route would stretch from Atchinson to the Kansas-Oklahoma state line.
There’s no inherent liability for local jurisdictions, he continued. And signage would be nice, but not required.
There are a number of ways a route can be designated, including maps — paper or digital — signs, pavement markings or via downloadable GPS coordinates.
The route was chosen after extensive discussions on who would most utilize such a route, Irons explained.
“The choice of roads for a US Bicycle Route is a tradeoff between low-traffic, direct routing, access to services (bike shops, motels, campgrounds, etc.), access to points of interest and scenic roads,” Irons wrote. “The best route for a family weekend bike ride may not be the best route for someone on a multi-day long-distance bicycle trip.”
Long-distance bicycle riders typically are experienced riders accustomed to varying quality of road surface and traffic conditions.
That said, the number of cyclists who might use a given route is difficult to predict, but even five to 10 riders a day would be considered a significant increase in usage, Irons noted.
Local entities choosing to change the route would submit those changes to the Kansas Department of Transportation, which is working in league with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in setting up USBR 55. Route changes could be made twice a year if conditions warrant, he said.
Council members indicated support for the proposal, and will be asked to offer a letter of support to be submitted to KDOT.
If approved, USBR 55 would be the third such route incorporated into the US Bicycle Route System. USBR 76 connects Garden City with Pittsburg, covering roughly 400 miles. A shorter 12-mile stretch from Baxter Springs to Galena constitutes USBR 66.
