Comments on: Bicycle routes via Google Maps (if you live in the USA) http://btawa.org.au/2010/03/10/bicycle-routes-via-google-maps-if-you-live-in-the-usa/ Commuting and bike riding for pleasure in Western Australia Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:02:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Paul Martin http://btawa.org.au/2010/03/10/bicycle-routes-via-google-maps-if-you-live-in-the-usa/comment-page-1/#comment-834 Paul Martin Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:54:41 +0000 http://btawa.org.au/?p=1043#comment-834 I am actively involved in www.openstreetmap.org editing for Brisbane and a cycling specific site has spun off from this, using data from OpenStreetMap - 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 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 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

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