National Park Service Signs Agreement with Adventure Cycling Association to Promote Bicycling Network Through National Parks

17 June 2013
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Washington, DC - National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Adventure Cycling Association on April 30, 2013, formalizing a partnership to promote collaboration between bicycling interests and the National Park Service.

The five-year agreement builds on an existing partnership and enables the Adventure Cycling Association to work with the National Park Service to build a nationwide bicycle route network through national parks. The Adventure Cycling Association will work with superintendents of individual national parks to share information relevant to appropriate route designation and replicate the most successful management practices along the Adventure Cycling Route Network (made up of more than 41,000 mapped miles of scenic roads and trails) and the growing network of routes designated as the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) that links urban, suburban, and rural areas.

“Nationwide bicycle routes connect Americans to their national parks in an environmentally friendly manner,” Jarvis said. “Our partnership with the bicycling community presents an opportunity for us to foster connections between national parks and cyclists of all ages.”

The agreement will promote user etiquette and safety while providing well-managed recreation and tourism opportunities. It preserves the National Park Service’s authority to determine where and when bicycling is appropriate on park lands. The agreement will also help leverage resources, expand volunteerism, and tap expertise in providing best management practices for bicycling activities.

“This agreement could not come at a better time,” said Adventure Cycling Association Executive Director Jim Sayer. “Bicycle tourism is surging in America and around the planet. Bike networks are being developed at a rapid pace. It’s important that the National Park Service is a key player in this effort to make biking safer and more enjoyable, especially in our national parks.”

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