0 Shares

Submitted by Thurston Regional Planning Council

Starting October 1, pick up a free copy of the new bright and colorful Thurston County Bicycle Map from bike shops, libraries, city halls, community centers, and other locations throughout the county. Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) first produced the map – now in its sixth edition – in 2000. Updated approximately every three years, the map provides up-to-date information on bike lanes, trails, wide shoulders, and other routes commonly used by cyclists. The new map showcases the Lacey and Olympia bicycle streets also known as “bike corridors.” Both cities plan to create more of these corridors that follow existing streets with less vehicle traffic and lower speeds, making them suitable for people who may prefer to ride on less busy streets.  The map also reflects recent name changes to two prominent paved trails:  Olympia and Lacey Woodland Trail, now the Karen Fraser Woodland Trail; and McLane School Forest Trail near Mud Bay, now the Ralph Munro Trail. This 2018 renaming honors the service and contributions of the former Senator and Secretary of State.

Beyond bicycling, the map shows all the public parks, boat launches, restrooms, and campgrounds in Thurston County. TRPC partnered with Experience Olympia and Beyond to pinpoint the most visited attractions such as the Olympia Farmers Market, the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, the Capitol Campus, and Tumwater Falls Park. “The bike map provides the most complete picture of all the major bicycle facilities –

including parks – that our communities offer. For this edition, we expanded the western boundary of the map into Grays Harbor County to include all of Capitol State Forest. The map now shows more trails for mountain bikers, hikers, horseback riders, and off-highway vehicles,” shared Paul Brewster, TRPC’s bike map project manager.

The paper map divides the county into two views, a detailed look at the north part of the county including Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater and a broader view of the entire county. Users can visit www.thurstonbikemap.com for an online bike route planner. To use, simply input a starting and ending point and you’ll receive a map that includes turn-by-turn directions, total distance, travel time, and an elevation profile of the entire route. “This tool offers people more detail than the paper version. Bicyclists traveling to or from communities like Tenino, Rainier, and Yelm can zoom in to view more streets and community destinations,” states Scott Carte, TRPC’s GIS Coordinator who led map development and design. People can also download a GPS-coded version of the map to their smart phone using the Avenza app and know where they are, even without wireless service.

The map includes safety tips, traffic laws, directions for loading a bike on a transit bus, and contact information. Bike map pick up locations, online versions, and more are available at www.thurstonbikemap.com.

For further information, contact Paul Brewster, Thurston Regional Planning Council, 360-956-7575.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
0 Shares