Travel Lane County expands regional bike network linking county’s small towns
“We started the ride in the eerily quiet burned remnants of the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire, with such little traffic that we decided to keep track for the whole 60 miles. (The full Saturday tally: 6 cars, 11 motorcycles, 22 squirrels). I’m a geographer and glaciologist – so my eyes were glued to the unmistakable rounded valley shoulders and glacial till piles visible to the east along the first few miles. During the Pleistocene, glaciers spilled from the Three Sisters and Diamond Peak and carved many of the broad U-shaped valleys the Aufderheide snakes through,” said University of Oregon professor and glaciologist M Jackson who traversed the ride with her partner Jonathon Marshall on Sept. 28.
That route, rich in geological history and natural beauty, is one of the first completed sections of Connect Lane’s Wayfinding Project which links the county’s rural communities through scenic, low-traffic cycling routes.
The project, like many others, faced obstacles and stalled during the pandemic but it is rolling forward again with momentum. Andy Vobora, Vice President of Stakeholder Relations at Travel Lane County (TLC), said it’s rewarding to see that momentum make a comeback.
“With four segments in place now we really have something to talk about,” Vobora said. “We’re looking forward to adding more and getting this thing built out over the coming years.”
Four signed routes currently connect McKenzie to Oakridge, Oakridge to Cottage Grove, Cottage Grove to Creswell, and Creswell to Eugene. Upcoming plans include extending the network west toward Veneta, Junction City and eventually Coburg and Springfield, he said.
According to TLC, Connect Lane is a system designed to link people to landscapes and communities to opportunity. The routes steer cyclists away from high-traffic highways and onto quieter paths that showcase the region’s scenery.
A statewide study in 2012 found that bicycle travel added $400 million annually to Oregon’s economy. “We want to tap into that and make sure cyclists are spending the night in these towns and eating at the restaurants,” Vobora said.
TLC said that cycling visitors often spend more than the average tourist – particularly on food, lodging and recreation. The Connect Lane network is an opportunity to showcase the local businesses that intersect with the trails. The network encourages visitors from Eugene and Springfield into towns like Oakridge, Cottage Grove and Creswell.
The concept for the project came from a 2017 Travel Oregon Rural Tourism Studio that focused on cycling’s potential to revitalize rural areas. The initiative has since required coordination among the U.S. Forest Service, Lane County Public Works and local municipalities, each with its own design standards.
“The Forest Service has very strict standards for signs that go in the forest,” Vobora said. “We had to redesign ours to make smaller and a different color and so all those things took some time but again, lots of great partners and it’s all coming together.”
TLC has also partnered with Dirty Freehub, a nonprofit that maps gravel routes statewide. An upcoming initiative Vobora said is loosely being called “Dirty Aufderheide” and will allow riders to ride on gravel and off paved roads for the entire course of the Aufderheide route. The project offers another layer of adventure for East Lane County cyclists.
By diverting riders away from state highways, Connect Lane establishes a more comfortable experience for families, new cyclists and visitors unfamiliar with local roads.
“When riders don’t have to worry about dangerous intersections or shoulder-to-shoulder traffic, they can focus on what brought them here in the first place – the joy of cycling through Oregon’s landscapes,” the agency wrote, in a piece outlining the project.
The system also taps into other recreation trends. According to the 2024 Outdoor Recreations Report, cited by TLC, more than 175 million Americans participated in outdoor activities in 2023 and cycling ranked among the top five. Well-marked, accessible routes can help casual riders transform into regular and experienced participants, said TLC.
The project’s impact stretches further than tourism though with an emphasis on connecting people to the land, and like Jackson, the geological offerings and natural beauty.
Residents can already ride the completed segments listed on TLC’s website.
“We’d encourage folks to get out. I’m not sure, with this kind of early fall, winter weather, what the opportunities are, but it’d be a beautiful time to be out there with the leaves changing,” Vobora said. “Get out, ride them, support these local communities. Share about what’s available out there.”
To learn more about Connect Lane, visit www.eugenecascadescoast.org/outdoors/adventures/cycling/community-routes
Reprinted by permission of the highway58herald.org