Cycle mapping news

From Camden LCC:

There's a lot going in the world of online mapping that's relevant to cyclists. Here are some highlights, starting closest to home:

maps.camdencyclists.org.uk
The purpose of maps.camdencyclists.org.uk is to provide a variety of overlaid mapping information (LCN routes, bike stands, TfL Hire Station locations, etc..) helpful to both cyclists and cycling campaigners. It overlays the information on a choice of background maps including OpenStreetMap and OpenCycleMap as well as the standard Google maps and Google Satellite view.

Recent additions include:

TfL hire station locations: Under 'Other markers'
Plan a Route button: Excellent journey plans from cyclestreets.net
Map Type Menu: Choose a different background map, e.g. OpenCycleMap or Satellite
Street View: Right-click anywhere for Street View images, with a feature to 'ride along the road'
Stands: Coverage is now excellent in Camden and useful throughout London. Scrollwheel zoom: Now available.
Help: Use the ? button for explanatory overlay

We also offer a 'Stands Wanted' feature (under 'Other markers') that can be used by any LCC group to mark locations for proposed stands. At present you need a login which I'll be happy to provide. Soon the facility to add 'Wanted stands' should be free for all to use.

cyclestreets.net
This Cambridge-based voluntary effort now offers the best cycle routes in the UK. It is based on the geodata available in OpenStreetMap (wiki.openstreetmap.org), the Wikipedia of mapping. More about that below under the Ordnance Survey item.
Cyclestreets has been in the news lately (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/12/cycle_route_planner/) following a FoI request to the DfT which elicited that the government has spent over £2.3M on an inferior system that hasn't yet gone live for most of Britain.

Ordnance Survey opens some of its mapping
(http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/opendata/)
Ordnance Survey has come very late to the online mapping scene and despite the very high quality of their printed maps, it's not clear that they are the provider of choice for for online mapping. OpenStreetMap probably meets cyclists' needs better because the mapping data is continually updated by the community to include new features relevent to cyclists. For example, the new Camley Street link in Camden was included on OpenStreetMap the day it opened last summer, but it still isn't on the Ordnance Survey maps.

For a good explanation of the recent Ordinance Survey announcements see:
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Ordnance_Survey_Opendata

George Coulouris
maps.camdencyclists.org.uk