Dispatch Hosts MORPC Bike Suitability Maps

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Blogger's Note:  Consider Biking Executive Director Jeff Stephens informs us that these maps are only drafts.  The final versions will be printed and posted in the coming month.  Thanks Jeff!

In my effort to get caught up on all the Columbus bike news that's fit to print, the Columbus Dispatch is hosting the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Council's (MORPC) Bike Suitability Maps. These maps were designed to show the routes in Columbus that are best for cycling from the standpoint of speed limit, amount of traffic, width of lanes, and a number of other factors.

The map is split into two files, one for the north side of the city and one for the south. The south map includes the legend, but for usability's sake I've included it below.

Maps like this are key in creating a bike-friendly environment as they call attention to the areas that need work and the areas that are doing well. They will help the city plan for the best areas to concentrate effort upon and also in the creation of routes (like the long-desired East-West route across town) that are needed. Enjoy!


People, not speed.

Comments

  1. Steve SMarch 16, 2009 at 9:01 AM

    Great maps, thanks for the links.
    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 16, 2009 at 11:40 AM

    All,
    These are just drafts of the map. Final versions will be printed (and posted) in the coming month.

    Jeff Stephens,
    Consider Biking

    ReplyDelete
  3. dancMarch 16, 2009 at 9:04 PM

    I have a concerns with the Bikeway Level of Service (BLOS) scale: "good-moderate-poor." What is a "poor" road for bicyclists, considering the wide variety of bicyclist skills and ages. Objective measures used the BCI http://bicyclingmatters.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/critique_bci1.pdf or BLOS models are questionable and subjective riders view are limited to sample available.

    Reviewing a dozen city bike maps, only Washington, DC used the same scale. Several used a "low-medium-high" traffic volume scale which is part in the Columbus "good-moderate-poor" scale definitions. Emory University http://transportation.emory.edu/MapBike_Suitability.pdf has an interesting variant, "least-medium-most" difficulty scale tied to a green-yellow-orange lines.

    Consider the "low-medium-high traffic volume" or "least-medium-most difficulty" suitability scales and green-yellow-orange color scheme. Who would ride on RED route? Doesn't Red on Road mean STOP, DANGER? Hardly encourages cycling?

    Better definition for Bike Lane - Roadway designated by striping, signing and pavement marking for the preferential or exclusive use of bicyclists.

    -- Dan C

    ReplyDelete

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