“To create a distinctive collection of American roads, their stories and treasured places.”
Sounds like an ideal pastime for those of us who love to travel, right? Actually, it’s the vision of the National Scenic Byways Program of the Federal Highway Administration.
Its daily mission is to supply resources to “… communities in creating a unique travel experience and enhanced local quality of life through efforts to preserve, protect, interpret and promote the intrinsic qualities of designated byways.”
Established by a Transportation Efficiency Act in 1991 and reauthorized in 1998 for the 21st Century, the National Scenic Byways (NSB) Program is a youngster in the family of federal programs. But it has accomplished much in its young life.
A grassroots collaborative effort to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States, the program has funded hundreds of projects for state and nationally designated byway routes. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.
All the roads designated by the Secretary of Transportation automatically become part of the America’s Byways® network. To earn a National Scenic Byway distinction, a road must possess at least one of those six intrinsic qualities I mentioned (historic, cultural, natural, scenic, recreational, archaeological).
To receive an All-American Road designation, a road must have multiple intrinsic qualities of national significance and contain one-of-a-kind features that do not exist elsewhere. The road must be considered a “destination unto itself.” In other words, the road must be the primary destination for a trip, and it must provide an exceptional travel experience.
There are currently 126 America’s Byways in 44 states. This includes 99 National Scenic Byways, 27 All-American Roads and 18 multi-state Byways. U. S. transportation officials designated the first Scenic Byways and All-American Roads in 1996. Recently, the Transportation Department recognized 45 routes as new America’s Byways, extensions of existing Byways or roads that had their designations changed from National Scenic Byway to All-American Roads.
The America’s Byways program is meant to grow out of the efforts of individuals working at the local level. If you have thoughts about getting involved on behalf of a favored roadway, the NSBP has some specific advice.
“America’s Byways … are roads to the heart and soul of America. Joining this unique collection is a non-trivial task which involves much more than simply taking a few photos and filling out the online application. It can take months to prepare a byway and its organization for this process. Travelers can know that Byways that have successfully negotiated the program requirements will offer a truly exceptional experience.
“Citizens and byway supporters considering submitting their byway for national recognition should explore the documents available on the online nomination system. Questions such as ‘What is designation all about?’, ‘Why become one of America’s Byways?’ and ‘How do I nominate my byway?’ are answered here.”
Don’t be discouraged by the frank advice. It’s meant to represent the process fairly. This is not an idle pastime. It’s serious business. Just think: Helping preserve a scenic roadway is to help protect a travel resource for generations to come.
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