Bay Area adds bicycle mapping to gov. website

Published Friday, April 29, 2005, by Government Technology

San Francisco Bay Area 511 Service Adds Online Bicycle Mapping

By News Staff

As part of its ongoing effort to promote bicycling as a viable
option for more travelers, the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission (MTC) today added an interactive online bicycle mapping
tool to its popular Web site <http://www.511.org>.

The free 511 BikeMapper service contains maps of all existing off-
street bicycle paths, on-street bike lanes and designated bike
routes in the nine-county Bay Area, allowing cyclists to specify
where they want to go, review what bikeways are available within
the specified areas, and print the appropriate maps.

"511 BikeMapper helps bicyclists ride smarter and safer," commented
MTC Commissioner and Marin County Supervisor Steve Kinsey. "As a
cyclist myself, I know how important it is to locate available
bikeways. It's especially important when you're riding in an
unfamiliar area, or if you're looking for a new route near your
home, school or workplace. And with Bike-to-Work Day coming up on
May 19, the timing couldn't be better."

The 511 BikeMapper is part of a nationwide trend toward online
bicycle mapping and is the first one-stop resource for bicycling
maps that cover the entire nine-county Bay Area. The 511 BikeMapper
does not automatically determine the best route or provide turn-by-
turn directions. Rather, it displays bike paths, bike lanes and bike
routes within areas you specify -- by city, zip code or address --
and provides tools to interact with the map and to print maps
yourself. This allows you to see all available options and decide
for yourself which route to take for bike trips.

Among the innovative features of the 511 BikeMapper is a "Show
Slope" option that allows users to identify hilly portions of
bike routes with grades of 5 percent or more. Varying slopes are
identified by color. The 511 BikeMapper database encompasses more
than 3,000 miles of bicycle paths, on-street bike lanes and local
streets that are designated as bike routes.

"511 BikeMapper is a dynamic resource that will become even more
powerful as time goes on," said Kinsey, explaining that some
communities have not yet taken inventory of their bicycle facilities
or have not mapped their bike paths, lanes and routes. "We'll
develop a richer database as more cities and counties take stock of
their bikeways and start feeding that data into 511."

The database also will expand as new bike paths are built, new on-
street bike lanes are striped and additional streets are designated
as bike routes.

Kinsey stressed that computer users play a key role in fine-tuning
the 511 BikeMapper database as well. "We've carefully screened the
information, but it's a brand new product, so a few inaccuracies
could still turn up. We're urging BikeMapper users to e-mail us if
they have a correction or addition, and to check back with
http://www.511.org for periodic updates." The e-mail address for
511 BikeMapper feedback is <bikemapper@mtc.ca.gov>.

The 511 BikeMapper is the latest in a suite of new traveler
information services, such as transit trip planning and up-to-the-
minute driving times on Bay Area freeway routes that have been added
to the Web site since its launch in late 2002. Information about
Bike-to-Work Day, as well as the location of bicycle facilities,
links to bicycle clubs and coalitions, and the Bike Buddy matching
program -- which helps match experienced bicyclists with novice
riders who want to make bicycling part of their regular travel
patterns -- can be found on the bicycle home page of the MTC's Web
site. Information about carrying bikes on Bay Area trains, buses
and ferries can be found on both the bicycle and transit pages at
<http://www.511.org>. Comprehensive Bay Area travel information also
is available toll free via phone at 511.

MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating
agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Funding for the
511 BikeMapper is provided by the Bay Area Air Quality Management
District.

This looks really cool except I don't know enough specifics about the Bay Area to play with it. It'll be interesting if they expand it to the state capitol.