Examples of different types of cycling maps
Summary: I'll use this post to collate examples of cycling maps with useful or notable concepts, classifications and ways of representing cycling-relevant data.
Details:
1. Oregon Metro Bike There map - Combines different types of infrastructure with similar levels of comfort and service as well as integrating value-add info like "Helpful Connections"
The Oregon Metro - Bike There Map is outstanding and an online version is available. It successfully deals with many of the issues with Google Maps Cycling layer that I highlight on this blog.
Key Points:
- It's obvious efforts have been made to provide a connected grid of routes with minimal gaps. The contrast with the Google Maps Cycling layer
- The major recommended Bikeways are very easy to see in dark blue
- The Designated Bike Lanes are represented intuitively with black border lines. This concept can be extended such that street sections with Designated Bike Lanes in only one direction could have no border on that side (this enables the distinction to be made without cramming two green lines into a single street).
- Oregon cities like Portland may not rely on off-road Trails as major cycling arterials but in Melbourne these are a key part of the network. This map has only a few, mostly minor Local Paths but I think Google Maps Cycling layer's concept of off-road "Trails" being the most visible (thick dark green lines) is more useful internationally.
- The Bike with Caution routes in thin red lines are important when used selectively to note routes that may be necessary but are less safe.
- Bike-Friendly Streets would appear to be preferred in the hierarchy than Designated Bike Lanes but it isn't clear whether they are reliably more comfortable or convenient. Often such local streets that haven't been modified specifically to give bicycles priority have a lot of intersections where they don't have right of way or which are tricky to cross.
2. City of Austin - Colour-coded Level of Comfort
The switch to reflecting level of comfort and not just types of infrastructure is a common innovation. However, it is obviously subjective (impossible to crowdsource) and thus only ever done by local government agencies. The ongoing accuracy and scale is always an issue. And almost all such maps are never online ones and only really useable in hard copy form.
> City of Austin Bike Map (PDF)
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