A bicycle route has been designated between Atlanta and Chattanooga.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has approved 2,141 miles of new U.S. Bicycle Routes (USBRs), including the Georgia to Tennessee line.
The U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) now encompasses 11,053 miles of routes in 23 states and the District of Columbia.
U.S. Bicycle Route 21 (USBR 21) is Georgia’s first U.S. Bicycle Route designation. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has been coordinating with Tennessee to designate USBR 21, which will eventually connect Atlanta to Cleveland, Ohio, when it is complete.
Katelyn DiGioia, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for GDOT, said, “Georgia is excited to join other states in the development of the USBRS with the designation of USBR 21. This route terminates in Atlanta and connects via the renowned Silver Comet Trail and scenic country roads to Chattanooga.”
USBR 21 begins in downtown Atlanta at the Five Points MARTA Train Station, which accesses the Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, providing an easy connection to the route for international cyclists.
The route leaves Atlanta on iconic Peachtree Street, then connects to the Silver Comet Trail, a scenic rail-trail that extends to Alabama. USBR 21 heads north from the Silver Comet Trail in the city of Cedartown. Two-lane country roads bring bicyclists through northwest Georgia to Chickamauga, then to the Tennessee border and Chattanooga, described as "a bike-friendly city with many urban attractions and outdoor recreation opportunities."
Two spur routes—USBR 321 and USBR 521—connect cyclists to other destinations in northwest Georgia and connect back to the main route. USBR 321 takes cyclists through the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. USBR 521 connects to Mountain Coves Farm, which provides scenic views of nearby Lookout and Pigeon Mountains and rolling green hills of the valley.