The National Scenic Byways Program
The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. Established in Title 23, Section 162 of the United States Code under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and reauthorized and expanded significantly in 1998 under TEA-21 and again under SAFETEA-LU in 2005, the program is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States.
FHWA's May 18, 1995 interim policy (PDF, Text) provides the criteria for the National Scenic Byways Program. This policy sets forth the procedures for the designation by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation of certain roads as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads based on their archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic qualities. There are 125 such designated byways in 44 states. FHWA promotes the collection as America 's Byways®. This policy also specifies the type of projects eligible for funding and lists the funding priority for grants.
National Scenic Byways Program - The National Scenic Byways Program website, is dedicated to the business of the Byways community including grants and nominations, peer-to-peer forums, marketing materials, and contact lists for State byway coordinators, FHWA Division officers, and important points of contact for each of America's Byways.
View a list of program contacts.
America's Byways® - Designed for the traveler, offers maps, photos, stories, activities, and visitor information to help plan a trip on any one of the 125 distinct and diverse roads designated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Additionally, the traveler can research information on US Forest Service Byways, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Back Country Byways, and US Fish and Wildlife Refuges located along or near America's Byways, as well as state-designated scenic byways.
America's Byways Resource Center - The America's Byways Resource Center's website, provides the Byways community with online training and educational resources to help each of America's Byways build a sustainable organization, network with each other, and deliver authentic experiences.
