Ashland Named a Top 10 Bike-Friendly U.S. Destination
ASHLAND, Ore — Ashland is a major American bike-friendly destination, ranked in the Top 10 by national outdoor magazine, ‘Outside.’ Ashland is rated as bike-friendly, with 86 dedicated bike trails.
Oregon is the Only State with Dedicated Bikeways
Oregon is the only state in the nation with bikeways – separated from motorized traffic and dedicated to cyclists – and Ashland is acknowledged as the first in Southern Oregon to introduce bikeways.
Source: PeopleForBikes City Ratings (Ashland OR) and League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community list (Spring 2023)
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Overall, Ashland is ranked as the fifth-best bike trail and bike-friendly travel destination in the U.S. and has been awarded Gold Status by the League of American Bicyclists. The city is ranked 70 out of 100 by ‘People with Bikes.’
Accolade will Boost Tourism in Ashland
The bike-friendly award should generate more tourism to ‘the center of the earth,’ the name by which locals affectionately call Ashland because of its central location within the state.
Travel Ashland director Katharine Cato says the latest accolade bolsters the city’s reputation as a culinary and wine destination. The three attributes attract younger adventure-seekers, and Cato says her tourism marketing organization has been concentrating on outdoor activities to generate more interest in the region.
Cato says the marketing campaign is paying dividends as Ashland attracts an increasing number of younger visitors interested in active lifestyles, such as the 55-mile Cascade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway that starts and ends in Ashland. The bikeway is challenging, with 5,000 feet of climbing and winding, steep descents.
Cato says Ashland offers something to please every taste with its 100-mile trail system within the watershed and the 20-mile Bear Creek Greenway, offering mountain biking, gravel riding, and road riding.
| Route or system | What it is | Distance | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway | Loop ride starting and ending in Ashland | 55 miles / nearly a mile of vertical climbing | Oregon State Parks bikeway plan |
| Bear Creek Greenway | Paved multi use trail linking Ashland to Central Point | 20 miles | Jackson County Parks |
| Ashland Watershed Trails | Multi use trails in the Ashland Municipal Watershed | More than 45 miles | USDA Forest Service |
| Ashland Parks and Trails | City parks and trail system overview | Over 53 miles of trails in the Ashland area | City of Ashland Parks and Recreation |
Cato points out that biking is a year-round sport, adding that the more people who visit Ashland, the more dollars they generate for the city.
Source: Oregon Scenic Bikeways economic report (Dean Runyan Associates) Table I 1 average trip expenditures, 2014
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Ashland City Council Biking Infrastructure Upgrades
Meanwhile, the City of Ashland continues to upgrade biking infrastructures to keep the forefront of the adventure sporting destination. Green bike boxes were installed on Ashland Street last month. These areas are painted green and used by bike riders waiting for traffic lights to change from red to green.
Transportation Advisory Committee chairperson Linda Adams explains that green bike boxes also assist motorists. As biking grows in popularity and the number of bicycles on the road increases, the green boxes are a safety net, separating cyclists from motorists.
Adams says that Ashland City Council has also approved a roadway rehabilitation project to include protected bike lanes within its design.
The appeal Ashland has with cyclists is illustrated by Casey Botts, a visiting enthusiast who made Ashland his home in 2016. He says Ashland has bike trails literally in the backyard, making it attractive to keen cyclists.
Botts says Ashland’s biking culture is demonstrated by the number of cycling shops in a city with a small 20,000 population.
Botts is the executive director of Ashland DEVO, a youth mountain bike program and nonprofit that offers children biking classes and other activities.