App: An offline bike map for Chicago
Consider this: You like to use the Chicago Bike Map but you don't always carry it with you. You want to be reminded of where the bike lanes and trail access points are. But you do carry your smartphone with you, all the time.
In April I launched my first-ever app, the Chicago Offline Bike Map. It works similarly to the Chicago Bike Map in that it shows the presence of on-street bike lanes, multi-use trails, and train stations. It works like Google Maps, though, where you can pinch and zoom to interact with the map.
A feature of the app is that it will not use your data connection. The app stores the map and all other information directly on your phone. It will not use the internet! It can even locate your position on the map – without internet.
Currently it's for iOS devices only (iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad). I'm just getting started on a version for Android users.
It costs $1.99 (link opens the iTunes Store).
Last Saturday was a free day, when 101 new people download it. I'm working out the bugs right now in order to create v0.3. I expect to host future free days. I intend to update the app at least once every two months to ensure it has the latest bike lanes.
I'd ask for your feedback, but you obviously have to buy it first. I'll answer all your questions, though. For example, if you want to know if it has a certain feature or point of interest listed.
A note about the color scheme: Green was chosen to display bikeways because it is not represented by anything else on the map, and it's appearance is strongly apparent. The more dark green a line has, the safer a facility it's intended to be. In other words, the greater the distance from cars. Dark blue lines are Metra routes, and light blue lines are CTA routes. The blues match the agencies' respective logo colors, but will be made more distinct in a future version.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joza 7 miles on -
Downloading now.
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on -
@Joza: Thanks
@Shawn & Anne: I'm fixing the bugs today; I'll probably start work on the Android version tomorrow. It will probably take about two weeks to enter the Android marketplace, er, Google Play.
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Permalink Reply by Brendan Kevenides on -
Nice Steve. I'm downloading now.
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Permalink Reply by Cameron 7.5 mi on -
Waiting for the Android version. Just curious, how big of area does it cover? Is it just the city or does it include some suburbs?
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on
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You and about 10 other people now!
y a j said:I'm on the Android waiting list. This is a great idea!
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on
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The map tiles cover about 1/2 mile beyond the Chicago city limits, and only Chicago bikeways are mapped.
The app takes up over 150 MB of data on the phone (which isn't an issue as most people have gigs remaining). Any more coverage and that starts ballooning. The data size increases exponentially for every additional level of zoom. The max zoom is z16 on the app, with z18 being the maximum I could have built.
Cameron Puetz said:Waiting for the Android version. Just curious, how big of area does it cover? Is it just the city or does it include some suburbs?
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on
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Thanks for pointing out the bugs. I'm fixing them now. The next release, v0.3, will be strictly a maintenance release and offer no new features or design changes (except for a slight tweak to zoomed out levels of the map). A maintenance release also means making sure the bikeways are up to date. Since the release, the Elston Avenue bike lane is mostly complete, and the 55th Street bike lane and road diet is almost complete, so those are both in the map.
Brendan Kevenides said:Nice Steve. I'm downloading now.
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