Biking in Ohio - The Heart Of It All

Ohio's Growing Manmade Resource

To most Ohioans, summer is a time to take vacations, spend a little time outdoors, and somehow avoid the intense Ohio heat and humidity.  To an estimated 4 million Ohioans, though, summer has become a time to enjoy one of our state's greatest assets: more than 3,000 miles of designated bike paths.   

We all know that bicycling in Europe is extremely popular.  In fact, it is estimated that between 12 and 15 million people witness some portion of the Tour de France every year, which means it is the sporting event with the largest attendance in the world.  But did you know that bicycling's popularity in the United States has been growing steadily ever since the time that Orville and Wilbur Wright had their bicycle repair shop right here in Dayton, way back in the 1890s?  In fact, since the 1980s, bicycling in the United States has experienced a resurgence in popularity, from coast to coast. 

In his study released earlier this year, Rutgers University professor John Pucher found that during the past two decades, the number of bike commuters in the U.S. rose by 64% from 1994 to 2009.  He also found that bicycling for transportation (versus for pleasure) has grown from 43% of all bike trips in 2001 to 54% in 2009. 

Understandably, bicycling is growing fastest in large cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, and Portland.  The study showed, though, that the cities that have seen a boon in bicycling have seen that boon, not because of greater population or increased gas prices, but because those cities have consciously worked to grow bicycling.  In some manner or another, those cities have implemented a comprehensive range of efforts, including infrastructure, programs, and policies to promote cycling.

Back in the 1980s, a broad plan was created by the Association of American State Highway and Transportation Officials, and others, for an interstate highway system just for bicycles.  "U.S. Bicycle Route 1", as it was called, was to run from Florida to Maine and "U.S. Bicycle Route 76" was to cross the country from Virginia to Oregon.  Unfortunately, only two short stretches were constructed and the plan stalled.  However, renewed interest in the plan by 42 states now has the ultimate goal of developing a nationwide system of bicycle routes.  The good news is that Ohio is one of those 42 states.

About the same time that the national plan was being formed for an interstate bicycle highway, Ohio's government officials, residents, and bicycling enthusiasts worked together to form plans for various intrastate bike trails throughout Ohio.  The largest of these planned trails was an off-road trail that was to run from the Ohio River to Lake Erie.  It was called the "Ohio to Erie" Trail.  Today, the Ohio to Erie Trail spans the state of Ohio from Cincinnati to Cleveland following lands formerly owned by railroads and canals.  Such trails are often called rail trails.