Everybody’s favorite Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wrote a post on his government blog suggesting that vacationers in America can pack their luggage on their bikes instead of their cars this weekend. And you know, you look at the map above and it seems so easy…

He also connected the causes of high-speed rail and bike trails, basically saying that the U.S. is on the verge of having an Eisenhower-esque bike Interstate system. I dunno if it’s totally fair to get my hopes up like that, but it doesn’t hurt to dream.

You’ve probably heard me compare where our high-speed and intercity passenger rail system is today with where America stood 54 years ago when President Eisenhower began implementing the US Interstate Highway network. But America also has a national interstate network of bicycle routes in a similar state of initial development.