The province of Quebec doesn’t mess around when it comes to cycling. A 250+ mile long route will be completed this August, making it the longest such route in North America. Known as “Route Verte” (Green Route), the trail has taken over 10 years to complete and will traverse 320 municipalities all across the province. To put that into perspective, it would be like having a continuous trail from Miami to Daytona Beach or New York to Washington.
Wow.
According to the website dedicated to the trail:
“You can cycle the Route Verte all at once, section-by-section, or by following your own itinerary. Some people regularly use the sections close to their homes, while others make a special trip a few times per year. The Route Verte can be a personal challenge or a relaxing place to spend your leisure time. You can enjoy it alone, as a family, or with friends. Every year numerous groups organize special outings along portions of the bikeway. When it comes to leisure, tourism, health, and the environment, the Route Verte is an invaluable asset”.
Furthermore, Route Verte is marked with signs that display route information, including nearby services or attractions, making it very user friendly for locals and tourists alike.
Way to go, Quebec.
I think Florida is currently underutilizing one of the nation’s most scenic roads - A1A. If the state wants to send its own bold message that it is serious about cycling, while simultaneously providing a fantastic coastal transportation asset that would traverse hundreds of communities, it would step up and create a continuous A1A trail. It could be our “Orange Route”.
Photos courtesy of SamediVelo.com, Wikipedia, and Canadatrails’ flickr account
This is so cool. I don’t know anywhere in Florida that is even 1/10th the length. I wish we took that kind of leap in planning.
Might want to check your math:
According to the Route Verte website, they will have 4347 kilometers completed in 2007 - thats 2700+ miles of marked trail.
Quote:
From June to August 2007, Québec will inaugurate the Route verte, a marked bicycle route that extends for more than 4,000 kilometres. This vast bikeway network links 16 regions and passes through 320 municipalities, stretching all the way from one end of Québec to the other.
More here:
http://www.routeverte.com/ang/facts.lasso?page=avancement
Comment by mike — June 30, 2007 @ 5:56 pm | Link
I spent a couple months living in Germany and the bicycle became the main source of transportation for me. Its amazing to see the infrastructure set up for cyclist in both urban and rural settings. If I had the option to ride my bicycle here for transportation and leisure I would. Especially on a nice sunny day on the beach.
There is definately a need for bike routes and bike paths, it would attract much needed healthy lifestyles away from stress and obesity. A worthwhile investment.