Help Pick Scenic Bikeways

The committee will consider routes for the designation that bring bicyclists in contact with outstanding scenic, historic and natural settings. It will make its recommendations to the OPRD director.

A citizen "at large" member and a representative of a bicycle advocacy organization will fill two of 11 seats on the committee. Other members appointed by the OPRD director will represent ODOT, Travel Oregon, the Oregon Recreation Trails Advisory Council, a federal agency land manager, the Oregon Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Association of Oregon Counties, the League of Oregon Cities and OPRD. The first appointees will serve two, three and four-year terms.



One of the committee's first tasks will be to help develop the scenic bikeway nomination process, which will likely be similar to the state*s Scenic Byways program for motorists. Once a scenic bikeway is designated, OPRD will enter into written cooperative agreements with landowners, other affected government agencies and private organizations to develop signing, arrange for maintenance, and define locations as approved in a route management plan.

"Oregon has long been recognized as one of the nation's premier bicycling states," said Phillips. "Now its best routes can be put on the map."

The rule states that routes can be linear or form loops, and can follow trails or low-traffic paved roads, or a combination of both.

Recognized as the first designated Oregon Scenic Bikeway, the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway will serve as a prototype, said Phillips. OPRD is now working with cities and counties on signs for the 130-mile bikeway, which was designed by Cycle Oregon.