AUGUSTA — In an effort to lure tourists and satisfy Maine bicyclists, the Department of Transportation is developing its first statewide biking map and guide.

The map and guide will provide an overview of the state’s road system, giving vehicle traffic levels and identifying shoulders suitable for biking. The map will also point out local bike repair shops and how to find lodging and other help.

The guide will highlight various scenic routes in all regions of the state. Those routes will range from 30 to 100 miles long.

“It’s overdue,” said Ron Roy, state director of passenger transportation. “We are seeing more and more demand from people asking, `How do we get around on bicycles?”‘

The guide will develop bicycle tourism, which is a small but growing segment of outdoor adventure tourism. The guide will also improve safety by helping people avoid some dangerous roads. Officials hope the maps will give bikers an alternative to the crowded paths on Mount Desert Island.

The guide is linked with the state’s long-range transportation “Grand Plan,” which seeks to use a variety of methods such as trains and high-speed ferries to move people through the state without cars.

“We want to be consistent,” said John Balicki, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the DOT. “If in the [Grand Plan] we are looking to bring people into the state through alternative systems on which they can bring their bikes with them, they need to know where to ride that bike when they get here.”

At least one loop tour will originate from each town that will serve as a transportation hub in the Grand Plan. The hubs include Bath, Boothbay Harbor, Rockland, Bar Harbor, Bangor and Eastport.