Newton's on the map! ... barely

Google Maps has finally rolled out the long-asked-for bike route function, with details about useful bike routes in 150 cities nationwide. You can take a look at your area by going to google maps and checking "bicycle" in the "more" menu. Here's what Newton looks like:



Hmmm... a lot of those green lines pretty much end at the Newton border. Why? Because the map's "only as good as the data it's been fed"(Heinrichs 2010), and the makers of these maps consulted with leading bike advocates in major cities. Hence, the Boston Bike Map routes, which pretty much end at the Newton border, are included.

We intend to put Newton on this map! Starting April 1, you can sign up to help with the "Bike Routes/Trips Mapping project" at the upcoming Newton Serves on April 25, where teams will collect data on the number of cyclists using different routes all over town. These numbers will provide firm ground for proposing bike routes for google maps, for portable Bike Newton maps, and for influencing where routes are marked on real streets.

This spring is hopping!
Bike Newton general membership meeting, March 21.
Newton Serves mapping project, April 25
And watch for announcements about this year's Rally and Ride!