Routes & Mapping Update

October 9, 2014

It's that time of year when things are winding down for the cycling season and getting even busier in the Routes & Mapping department. We've got four bigs things on our plates right now.

First, while the number of cyclists arriving in the office has dwindled to a trickle they are ever more on our minds as we work on map updates. At the same time, we continue progress on the upcoming Bicycle Route 66 maps. There are lots of details still to be handled on this route as we take the research data to maps.

Second, three of us, Routes & Mapping Department Director Carla Majernik, Cartographer Casey Greene and myself, are all attending the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS) annual meeting in Pittsburgh. Casey will be presenting on the development of the Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route (IHSMBR) maps as well as showing it in the map gallery. I have collaborated with two other women in the field to present on our experience of learning geospational technologies through a MOOC (massive open online course).

Third, with a consultant we are in the last stages of developing a database to house all the route and service information we've collected over the years. Upon completion, this database will aid us in accurate service directory listings across the route network with more automation. As it is populated with our information, another potential function of the database will be to produce more user friendly gps information.

And fourth, during database development we were able to test a process to create some of the data used in our Digital Map and Data Beta Test conducted on the Northern Tier this summer. We are now getting some help from a volunteer to compile the results so we can more clearly determine our path on this endeavor.

Are you wondering how this all relates to the photo above? Well, in the midst of these things, an interesting piece of mail arrived: a letter written on a license plate found while touring a section of the IHSMBR. The ingenuity and gratitude of traveling cyclists helps keep all the 'busyness' in perspective and reminds me what and who we are working for.

Photo by Jennifer Milyko.

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GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, Routes & Mapping Assistant Director, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures, and persons from the Adventure Cycling Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.