Sunday, March 02, 2008

Bike Routes in Google Maps

Following last week’s post on Google Maps Saving the Planet an organisation called Google Maps Bike There (dead link removed) contacted us about their campaign to get bike routes added to Google
Maps.

Here is how they describe themselves on their website,

"GoogleMapsBikeThere.org was created to ask Google to help us make the world safer for bicyclists by adding bicycle routes to Google Maps."

Google Maps presently has 'Drive There' and 'Take Public Transit' options. Google Maps Bike There would like Google to add a ‘Bike There’ option. Here’s how they imagine it would look:



Google Maps Bike There have started an online petition for those who support their campaign.


UK Public Footpaths

The implementation of bike routes for UK users would be hindered by the fact that Google Maps does not include public footpaths in its UK map coverage. Local government authorities in the UK have to keep a ‘definitive map’ of public rights of way. This ‘definitive map’ records public footpaths and bridleways that are ‘public rights of way’. Nearly all maps printed in the UK include these public footpaths as a matter of course. Google Maps for some reason does not include public footpaths.

For example, the Google Map below looks very sparse compared to maps produced by the UK Ordnance Survey. The UK Ordnance Survey Map of this area is covered with dotted lines showing all the public footpaths (although you will have to take my word for this as the Ordnance Survey protects its copyright very closely and does not allow us to show you the map).



Gavin Brock has produced an Ordnance Survey Overlay for Google Earth which enables you to view public footpaths in Google Earth. Unfortunately the kml of the overlay doesn’t appear to work when loaded into Google Maps.
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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't forget Bikemap!

Keir Clarke said...

Bikemap has been added to the links.

Anonymous said...

What about http://wheresthepath.googlepages.com/wheresthepath.htm

Keir Clarke said...

I like that map 'anonymous'. I'll hold that over for a fuller review sometime.

Mike said...

Here is a link to a Bicycle Trip Planner for Portland, OR and Milwaukee, WI.

http://bycycle.org/

Anonymous said...

How about mapmyride.com.

Anonymous said...

bikely is more than Australia.

People around the world have used this preeminent bike mapping to map other countries and towns to the antipodes of Australia.

As you can see from the _recent listings_ on the home page
http://www.bikely.com/

Or search for Montrea, Vancouver etc.

Keir Clarke said...

Sorry Bill, I think I was just going from an old review. I've edited the post to reflect your global reach.

Anonymous said...

How about www.cyclistnexus.com
Better mapping tool, much better interface.

Kevin E. Schlabach said...

Th Philly Bicycle coalition map is thorough, but I'm working on something a little more feature rich... 99trails.com (philly area only right now)

Unknown said...

The proliferation of bike route info is valuable to cyclists. It could become valuable to habitual car users trying to find out how to get around by bike, on foot or public transport if it was directed outside the cycling community. It is a convenience for those of us who have been working it out for ourselves already but focusing alternative transport information toward habitual drivers could accelerate change. Information such as travel time for each mode could be really valuable to many car drivers who don't realize how effective some of the options are.