Wired.com reports that in some American cities Google Maps can suggest the best route for bicycles. Now, if we do this in Perth and add the amazing work Roland has done on the problems on the PSP’s, and the mapping of caltrop we are trying to get Mainroads to do, we would have the perfect route selection.
Bicycle routes via Google Maps (if you live in the USA)
Published: March 10, 2010Posted in: General News
I am actively involved in http://www.openstreetmap.org editing for Brisbane and a cycling specific site has spun off from this, using data from OpenStreetMap – http://www.opencyclemap.org
It is the ‘Wikipedia of Maps’.
There are applications for mobile phones that allow routing using the OpenStreetMap maps and there are some online tools that allow routing for cars, pedestrians and importantly bicycles, taking advantage of cycle paths, etc – see maps.cloudmade.com
Anybody can edit the maps with basic computer skills (even if it is just adding a point of interest) and it benefits everyone. Nearmap allows the use of a visual ‘underlay’ when editing the OpenStreetMaps so you can literally ‘trace’ the bike paths into the map. Nearmap aerial photography is free for this use and is much more up-to-date than Google’s aerial photography, although it only covers the capital cities at the moment (see http://www.nearmap.com).
There is nothing better than local knowledge and the maps get better and better every day. Start editing folks!
Cheers,
Dr Paul Martin
MBBS, FANZCA