Wikipedia inspires Dutch cyclists to create own route planner

Tuesday 18 July 2006 by Edward.

Using the collaborative nature of Wikipedia, the internet encylopedia project, as inspiration, Dutch cyclists in Utrecht province have launched a door-to-door online route finder for bicycles, reports Reuters. Almost 1/3 of Dutch trips are done on bicycles. There was no good source for knowing the location of the “best” cycle lanes. Seventy volunteers spent hours cycling roads and entering detailed data into the online map project, such as road surface type, scenery, and lighting. The goal of cycling group ENFB is to cover the entire country. Over a thousand visitors a day use this online cycle route planner.

I would not be surprised to learn of other such collaborative mapping efforts in future, for activities such as walking, roller skating, pub crawls, photography, dog walking — where intimate details not available on existing maps are needed for specialized activities. This could be invaluable to tourists.

Roger A. Brooks‘ Rule 6 “The Rule of Wayfinding” states that ‘Real men don’t ask for directions.’ Good signage, gateways and directional, is critical to the success of any community. Signage should be a top priority to “connect the dots” throughout your community. I extend this thinking to maps and route planners.

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