[Closed] Edinburgh folkies - of interest?

Pants.

Spokes already do a perfectly good cycle map of Edinburgh, one which shows more tracks than that and includes the bits between them. It's also to scale (which this one isn't). Interactive? Google Maps uses OSM mapping for cycle routes as does the likes of Bikeroutetoaster.

I hope we're getting something of more value for the £100k that's being fired into this project.

PS - that's my personal opinion and may not represent the opinion of my employer.

Ditto re: Spokes maps, however it seems the plan is to allow users to identify fly-tipping, flooding etc in realtime. Actually, thinking about it, not sure really what use that is if there are no full-time wardens/rangers to actually deal with these problems...

Aye. For £100k, we could actually do something about the paths other than make a new map of them

Think its a rubbish idea at present. Edinburgh city council have some good maps hidden on their site somewhere.

did you read kit's link druidh? the £100k wasn't for the map...

i think it's more of a publicity tool than a useful map. just saw a bit on the 6.30 bbc news about it. mr bike station sydenham used to be my boss years ago

Yes Sean, I know. But if someone gave me £100k to improve cycling provision in Edinburgh, I wouldn't waste time and money by drawing a new map.

Especially a crap map like that one that doesnt have half the paths on it.

but they aren't trying to get you to cycle more colin, it's others they are trying to interest.

the map would be useless for navigation as it doesn't fill in the gaps. but hey, it got bikes on the news and it looks kinda neat

so what paths are missing? i don't use them all so i can't see

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/385/cycling_in_edinburgh/542/cycling/6

I much prefer these maps.

The problem is that these maps are rubbish. Trying to put a stylised and simplified map like the London Tube one over a cycling route is pointless. The Tube map works because it is underground and therefore you don't need to care what is happening above you.

They mention Roseburn Place on two routes but don't join them up at all, which seems counter-productive if anything.

As has been said already, the Spokes map is far better.

I think you are slightly missing the point. These 'maps' aren't really for navigation. After all if you knew the whereabouts of all the roads on the map, chances are you will know where the cycle paths go. The purpose of them is to advertise the paths to those who don't know about them and to highlight how many of them there are. Given the media coverage they seem to be pretty successful. If this was really about a 'map' then why in earth would the BBC be doing a feature about it? It is a good PR stunt

One thing it does do well is show up the lack of proper links between paths, especially linking to the city centre.

I made the maps for [url= http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/495/parks_gardens_and_open_spaces/1251/accessing_our_parks_and_greenspaces/3 ]this[/url] a couple of years ago. Sadly the more detailed path by path maps don't seem to be on the site 😕

imnotverygood - nail/ head.

It's not aimed at people who know the cycle routes inside out, it's to publicise the fact that there are a lot of routes. If it gets publicity for the traffic free paths network, and gets people thinking "oh I live 200 yards from entry point x, and work 200 yards from exit point y - wonder how long it would take to ride?", and some of them start to ride to work/ shops/ visit auld auntie mabel then it's a success in my book.

There is also this interactive mapping service:
[url= http://www.cyclestreets.net/ ]http://www.cyclestreets.net/[/url]
which covers Edinburgh, and will give you fast/balanced/quiet journey options with illustrated routes and profiles.

The map fails on the very basic level - e.g. you have a criss-cross of paths in the Meadows, unconnected to anything else. What are you supposed to do? Push your bike along the pavement to get to them? Drive to them? Or say you live on one side of the city and your granny on the other? You might as well write "Here be monsters" in the white spaces.

But perhaps most damagingly of all, it also encourages segregation, in the mind of both cyclists and drivers. The way we get better safety for [i]all[/i] cyclists is not by having dedicated cycle paths, it's by having more cyclists on the big, wide, well connected bits of tarmac we already have.

winstonsmith - Member
the map would be [b]useless for navigation[/b] as it doesn't fill in the gaps. but hey, it got bikes on the news and [b]it looks kinda neat[/b]