It exists! The user-edited cycle map I’ve been thinking about exists, but not yet so much in Portland. via The Transportationist blog, I’ve just found out about the OpenStreetMap project (that link opens the map, an informational page and wiki is here). The OpenStreetMap is an user-generated, open source mapping project which currently maps much of Europe, the United States, the Western and Southern coasts of Africa and several other places. According to OSM, the idea is to: “[create and provide] free geographic data such as street maps to anyone who wants them. The project was started because most maps you think of as free actually have legal or technical restrictions on their use, holding back people from using them in creative, productive or unexpected ways.”
I browsed the map (basically zooming in on North America until I could see the intersection nearest my residence) and it runs smoothly with a clean interface. Intreguied, I headed to the wiki and info page where I was greeted by this wonderful ‘featured image’:
Dutch cyclists added hundreds of nodes to the cyclemap using a custom-made script.
Still they have to connect the nodes with each other (a start is made in the upper-left corner of this image, near Schoonhoven) which means a lot of cycling to do….
Wow. I’ve been wondering if it would even be possible to put together a user-generated mapping-tool that could be used to find good cycling routes, but here it is already, only it’s even better than I’d imagined. I particularly like (fan of Google though I am) that it is not layered onto a Google Map, but its own map and a Creative Commons ShareAlike data set. The Cycle Map does not automatically map a route between points as byCycle does, but it is an interesting and growing source of really useful information. Currently it seems to be mostly happening in Europe (particularly the UK and Netherlands), but that doesn’t mean others can’t start participating. Ok, Portlanders, let’s start adding some information.
Great that you found the OpenStreetMap (OSM) project
We need lots of contributors in the US to help improve the basemap data. Mostly what you see in Portland will be derived from the US TIGER data and to be frank TIGER isn’t that great quality. Getting local cycle route information into OSM, even if its for just a small area, would be great to see. As for routing, well expect that to come along sometime sooner rather than later. The project owns the data so as long as there are people out there to code these things then they will eventually happen. Beware though, mapping for OSM is very addictive, get the bug and you will be riding trails every spare moment you have
Cheers
Andy (blackadder)
You’ll be pleased to know that Portland is now available on the OSM cycle map in much greater detail than before – but there’s not any cycle-related stuff there yet! Hope to see some stuff soon, since Portland is internationally famous for being a cycle-friendly city.