rural roads

In my research, I find lots of information pertaining to city streets, but very little focusing on rural roads.  Here is an excerpt from an article on "Basic improvement for bicycling" that addresses rural roads:

Improving Rural Roads
Rural roads offer miles of quiet and enjoyable cycling. Many bicyclists consider this type of riding to be the very best recreation available. What can be done to improve rural roadways?

Pave shoulders on busy rural roads.
Some states, such as Wisconsin, add paved shoulders to rural highways when they reconstruct. They do this to encourage bicycling — they have a very active tourism program — and to improve conditions for motorists as well. On narrow rural roads without paved shoulders, cars and trucks occasionally drop a wheel off the pavement edge. When the driver corrects, the wheels tend to tear up that edge. This damage can lead to continuing maintenance problems. Paved shoulders can cut down on maintenance costs by giving the motorists more room to correct steering errors. Further, paved shoulders can cut the incidence of run-off-the-road accidents. How wide is wide enough? Consider paving at least three to four feet to a reasonable high standard with adequate sub-base. The Maryland Department of Transportation, for example, covers their previously-paved shoulders with a slurry seal for smoothness. They find that cyclists appreciate and use the smooth shoulders.

Use caution with rumble strips.
Rumble strips along the edge of rural highways have been shown to reduce the incidence of run-off-the-road crashes among motorists. However, unless carefully designed, they can cause serious problems for bicyclists. A rumble strip that covers the entire paved shoulder gives the bicyclist nowhere to ride except in the travel lane. A number of states have worked hard to design rumble strips that cause fewer problems for bicyclists. For example, some state policies require the use of a narrow 12” rumble strip next to the shoulder stripe and discourage use on shoulders narrower than 6 feet.

via Bike Plan Source