The byCycle.org bicycle trip planner is a Web-based tool to help both new and seasoned cyclists plan safe trips through the city.
The Trip Planner is currently available for the Portland, OR, and Milwaukee, WI, metro regions. We are working on integrating other regions, and have a long term goal for the system to be able to route between cities.
Future versions of the trip planner will let users modify routes according to length, traffic volume, elevation, and other preferences. Users will also be able to find routes to and from points of interest, such as local businesses and parks, by entering the name.
The Trip Planner is currently unfunded. If you would like to contribute to development and maintenance costs, you can make a donation via paypal or buy something. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated.
Supporters
The Trip Planner is being developed with support from:
Metro
Metro is the Portland area’s regional government. Amongst other things, it “…protects open space and parks, plans for land use and transportation, and manages garbage disposal and recycling…”
Metro was the first organization to provide us with bike-sensitive data. The data is the same (more or less) as that used for their Bike There! map. We are working with them to create a new, more-sophisticated, Portand-specific trip planner.
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
The BFW provided us with data for the Milwaukee, WI, area and paid us to integrate that data into the trip planner.
Jack Newlevant
Jack works with the data provided by Metro to make it more suitable for bike routing. He is an avid cyclist and rides with a GPS unit, which allows him to refine the data and correct errors. He has also created an elevation model, which we use to avoid hills in routes generated by the trip planner.
Jack is working on a system for the trip planner that will allow users to set various options for finding routes according to their preferences. Users will, for example, be able to ask for a shorter route, a less-hilly route, or a route with less cars.