Backers say bike route could boost northern Maine tourism

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (AP) - Supporters say a 320-mile bike route in Maine could boost tourism in northern Maine.

The Bangor Daily News reports that bike groups are working with state and local groups for a 320-mile federally designated bike route from Bangor to Fort Kent.

The Northern Maine Development Commission is working with the Maine Department of Transportation and several bicycle groups on the idea.

The commission’s senior planner Jay Kamm says the route would be part of a national long-distance cycling network.

That U.S. Bicycle Route System features different types of roads including scenic byways and low-traffic local roads. The idea is that communities along the routes could try to appeal to long-distance bike riders.