America's Byways™ Designation: Quality or Quantity?

Editor’s Note: This is part of a continuing series of articles about the nomination of roads to join the distinct and diverse collection of America’s Byways™. Future issues will supplement information currently available on this Web site.

As you begin collecting your thoughts and compiling information about your byway in preparation for nomination, please keep your eye on quality more so than quantity. Quality is as important to the preparation of your nomination as it is for the integrity of your byway, the significance of Intrinsic Quality(s), and the authenticity of the visitors’ experience.

Remember to explore America’s Byways™ on this Web site before you prepare your online nomination. Make sure the story you submit is told in an engaging and authentic manner, and that the images and useable maps you include entice the visitor to “come closer” and experience your byway. If the U.S. Secretary of Transportation designates your byway, we will use information from your nomination on www.byways.org. In the Travelers Use of the Internet 2002 study done by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), it was reported that 45% of all travelers use the Internet for travel plans and 63% of online travelers use a destination site (like www.byways.org) for travel planning. The #1 reason people plan their travel online is to search for maps and driving directions. And there is a definite upward trend in the use of the Internet for travel planning.

The Weight of Your Words vs. The Weight of Your Document

The nomination and designation process for National Scenic Byways (NSB) and All-American Roads (AAR) has many components. We will ask you to submit information in a part-by-part online nomination. Representatives from FHWA in Washington D.C., the America’s Byways Resource Center in Minnesota and the National Scenic Byways Online team in Utah are working to make the nomination process as seamless as possible. We are crafting the online nomination to ask and collect the necessary information needed to complete a fair, thorough assessment of your byway and its justification to become part of the America’s Byways™ collection. We have created a Nomination Readiness Worksheet and are completing a Nomination Guide to assist you in preparing your nomination submission.

One of our goals is to request information for the online nomination efficiently with little, if any, duplication. We will include limitations on the number of words to encourage you to submit succinct answers to the questions posed. Remember that the reviewers will have multiple nomination documents to review. The more organized your submission is, the easier it will be for them. In checking for information on the average adult attention span, researchers reported the average to be no more than 20 minutes, and some suggested the average to be as little as 30 seconds. Whether the average attention span is 30 seconds or 20 minutes, keep in mind that how you present your byway story is important. If you want to keep the reviewer’s attention and embrace your enthusiasm for the byway, you need a quality document. If you provide a voluminous, repetitive nomination, the reviewers may not absorb all the materials you provide.

Some key points to keep in mind while preparing your nomination:

• The nomination process starts by communicating with your State Byway Coordinator.
• The local community and stakeholders are important to the process. There must be community involvement in the development of the corridor management plan and community support for the byway’s possible national designation.
• It’s important to explain the integrity of the proposed designated route—from the standpoint of safety, continuity and the significance of Intrinsic Quality(s).
• You should clearly state what the essence of your byway is and how it relates to the principal Intrinsic Quality(s) identified in your submission.
• You must have a corridor management plan that addresses the 14 (NSB) or 17 (AAR) planning elements.
• Information on the safety of the proposed designated byway must be provided.
• The experience of the byway is broader than just the road. Distinctive features of the byway corridor—the points of interest, activities and events—should be included in the context of a traveler’s complete itinerary.
• You will be asked to demonstrate that your byway is ready for travelers if the Secretary designates your byway. Signage, traveler amenities, directional maps and visitor information should be available.
• You should be able to provide confirmation of the regional and/or national significance of your byway.
• And lastly, you should understand that becoming part of America’s Byways™, the “collection of distinct and diverse roads designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation,” is a privilege. If designated, your byway will be marketed and promoted as part of this collection, and the photo images and features information you provide with your nomination submission will be posted on the www.byways.org Web site for potential travelers to use in making their vacation destination decisions.

Upcoming Vistas articles will provide more details on the nomination tools—the Designation Readiness Worksheet and the Nomination Guide—and on the final online nomination that you will prepare for your byway’s possible national designation by the Secretary. We are trying our best to produce a clear and user-friendly nomination package. Look for additional information on this Web site. We will keep State Byway Coordinators informed. And remember, your State Byway Coordinator is the best person to ask about nominating and preparing your byway for possible national designation.