Scenic Bikeway nomination window closes Nov. 30, submit routes for consideration

OLYMPIA — The inaugural nomination round for the Scenic Bikeways Program closes Nov. 30 – have you submitted your route?

Washington State Parks is calling on organizations and individuals to submit bike routes they think should become Washington State’s first Scenic Bikeways. The pilot nomination round will advance up to 15 proposed routes for further consideration.

State Parks will oversee the route nomination and implementation process. The agency is also the final decision-making authority that will designate a proposed route as a Scenic Bikeway.

What makes a strong nomination

Proposed Scenic Bikeways should be fun to ride and can comprise shared use paths, bike lanes and/or roadways with exceptional scenic, cultural, historic and/or recreational value. Routes should:

• Have exceptional scenic, cultural, historic and/or recreational value
• Be contiguous and fully constructed
• Connect scenic vistas, parks and open spaces
• Have places to fix your bike, get food, rehydrate and stay overnight
• Encourage local economic activity
• Be located where all land managers provide their consent

Proponents should be prepared to:

• Submit a map of their proposed route
• Provide information on how to access the route
• Include photos and a description of the scenic, cultural, historic and/or recreational value of that route

Nomination steps

Designating an official Scenic Bikeway has five steps:

1. Nomination
2. Route presentations
3. Development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
4. Designation by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
5. Implementation; State Parks and partners carry out MOU responsibilities

For more information about the Scenic Bikeways Program and to learn more about the nomination process, please visit the Scenic Bikeways program webpage where the Scenic Bikeways Program Manual is available.

Email ScenicBikeways@parks.wa.gov with questions.