Put yourself on the bike map – time for an update!

May 27, 2017
Put yourself on the bike map – time for an update!

BarbC

The current suite of AT bike maps, for which in our previous incarnation as Cycle Action Auckland we supplied a great deal of legwork.

Auckland Transport is currently working with Bike Auckland to review the content and size of all our city cycle maps – and your ideas are crucial.

Here’s a link to a speedy survey about what you look for in a bike map, and what you think of the existing ones.

Bike maps are such a key element of a bikeable city. Every time I represent Bike Auckland at an event for people keen to give biking a go, or for families whose children are raring to take their parents biking in the weekends, or speak at a community group interested in helping their members become more active or curious to explore the city by bike… I’m deluged with requests and advice on places to go biking.

I always go prepared to these events with boxes of Auckland Transport’s cycle maps. I spread them around on tables, and invariably leave with empty cartons. I’m a good salesperson for maps as I LOVE them! And I’m happy to learn that the appetite for bike maps is insatiable.

As lovely as old-school folding maps are, digital versions are brilliant when you’re on the go, and easier to keep up to date. That’s the downside of our current AT cycle maps (above right) which are desperately in need up updating. But I’ve got to confess that when I arrive in a new city I make a beeline for the tourist info centre to grab some paper bike maps.

How cute is the new credit-card-sized map?

What’s the appeal of paper? It’s just so much easier to see the big picture at a glance: how the suburbs fit together and relate to the train and ferry networks. As in Auckland, most cities allow bikes on trains and ferries, so I can get around the city faster by mixing hire and public bikes with public transport. Once I’ve got the big picture, I can always download sections to use on my phone.

With this special passion for paper maps, you can see why I’ve been jittery with delight since Auckland Transport launched its beautiful new little City Centre Cycle Map 6 weeks ago. What a honey!

The first print run of 9,500 was snapped up inside a month, and a second print run is now available. AT is cleverly planning to keep the print runs smallish, so the map can be constantly updated as new cycling infrastructure opens. Yay for AT! (You can find out how to get your hands on this cute pop-up map, download a PDF to print at home, and give feedback on it here).

Now we’re keen to hear what you think makes a good bike map, and how you use the current maps, so AT can crack on with refreshing the other maps.

  • Do you like to spread out a paper map at home or at work to plan bike rides around the city, using the fastest and easiest bike routes and public transport?
  • Or are you keen to flick up a map on your phone to see where cafes and public toilets are near you or your destination?
  • Do you give bike maps to house guests to show them how to navigate the city by public transport or bike?
  • Or are you simply keen to get to that new bike route you heard was opened a month ago?
  • What do you find yourself adding to a paper bike map?
  • What else do you look for in a decent bike map?

We need to hear from you! And please pass the survey around, so we get all the best ideas – as we know maps mean lots of different things to different people.

Here’s that survey link again – it’s live until the end of Queen’s Birthday weekend, midnight Monday 5th June. Go for it now!

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Bike Auckland is the non-profit organisation working to improve things for people on bikes. We’re a people-powered movement for a better region. We speak up for you – and the more of us there are, the stronger our voice!

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