Cycling Director To Promote New Route Through Detroit

TROY (WWJ/AP) - The executive director of the 43,500-member Adventure Cycling Association will be in the Detroit area promoting the organization's Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate route.

Jim Sayer will meet with cyclists at regional gatherings Wednesday night in Troy and Thursday evening in Detroit.

On Thursday afternoon, he will promote the Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate route at the Detroit Historical Museum.

The new 518-mile Detroit Alternate takes cyclists through communities and landmarks from Oberlin, Ohio, to Owen Sound in Ontario, Canada. The original, 2,000-mile cycling route stretches from Mobile, Ala., to Owen Sound.

Spokesperson Ginny Sullivan said Detroit is an important highlight on the new route for its historic relevance and its contemporary efforts to improve conditions for cyclists.

"Increasingly the city has invested in bike lanes, greenways, urban agriculture, and natural parks, making it an even more attractive stopover for touring cyclists on the new route," she said in a statement.

According to Jenn Milyko, one of the association's cartographers, the Detroit Alternate links to other Adventure Cycling routes, such as the Lake Erie Connector and the Northern Tier.

The association provides riders with a route list, which highlights key historic and cultural landmarks along each map section.

For more information, visit adventurecycling.org or call 800-755-2453, ext. 211.

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