Friday, May 02, 2014

Meanwhile that Strava Map is Awfully Interesting

While CyclePhilly is just starting to measure bicycle trips, Strava's worldwide heat map of cycling and running routes has generated an incredible amount of interest.

Click on the arrow under the Facebook icon to view the map

It's important to note that this data is a small subset of all bike trips, generally Strava app users tend to be enthusiasts. Zoom in on the map and you will see data gaps in low income and working class neighborhoods. And some of the popular suburban and rural roads highlighted may intimidate casual riders. Still with absolutely no bike traffic data available statewide, this map can be useful for those planning a route and to some degree a tool in bike improvement planning. Even Six Flags Great Adventure, one of the most auto centric destinations in the state has Strava waypoints.

2 comments:

Andrew J. Besold said...

What is also interesting is that you can see off-road shortcuts that some people are taking that could be turned into formal trail, like the route being taken south of Raymond Road through Heathcote Park in South Brunswick that then hooks up to an old rail line that is part of the D&R Canal Park system.

See:
http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#15/-74.59884/40.37446/blue/bike

Thanks for posting about this John.

Andrew J. Besold said...

And when some people might say, "Oh no one rides a bike on that road so we don't need to do anything," which we hear WAY too often in New Jersey you can whip this out and prove to them otherwise!

BTW, you could at least tell them who made you aware of this map. ;)