Updates to the Gmap were coming fast and furious over the past winter months. They will continue over the summer, but will be less frequent as our "to-do" list ramps up during the cycling season. To check the latest additions to the map anytime, simply swing by the Gmap Notes page.
Summer is great time for field data collection, trail updates, developing new stuff for the web site, oh, and cycling of course! So the Gmap may slide down the priority list a bit. But fear not. More data collection means more trails will be added to the map in the near future.
Admittedly this blog entry is a bit weak on content. But we wanted to give a shout out to let you know what's happening and why blog entries and Gmapping is slowing down for now.
Be sure to get your bike out to enjoy a great trail-riding season!
Ohio trail user news reports have proven valuable here at Ohio Bikeways. The Ohio Gmap will also rely on users for keeping up with new trail sections, trailheads and facilities. To that end we've posted a page for map input. You can provide info regarding any Ohio trail, regardless of whether the bikeway has been posted yet. Data collected for unplotted trails will be filed until it can be placed on the map.
The input page allows for sending lat/long or long/lat or an address. A single pair of coordinates can be sent to pinpoint a trailhead or other point of interest, or numerous pairs to define an entire trail section. We haven't determined the max capacity, but using the Firefox browser we were able to send the entire Kokosing Gap Trail -- roughly 161 lat/long pairs -- with no problem. If you prefer to submit a file instead, just say so in the form provided and you will be accommodated.
You may have wondered, how accurate are those markers on Google Maps? Well, if you've ever searched for your home address on one, you may have found it depicted some distance from its actual location. Likewise with GPS that relies on such map data. This has been an accuracy glitch in the system for some time that affects a wide range of map platforms (not just Google).
Nothing much could be done about it until recently when Google released an edit tool that allows users to modify marker locations. Here's a link with video that explains the process. It's quite simple and requires a free Google Account to use.
We used the Richland B & O Trail to test the feature. We pulled up the trail on the Gmap and zoomed into the Butler, Ohio area. Next a local search for "Whiffle Tree Restaurant" added a mini-marker up the street from a marker we'd already placed to show the restaurant's location. Next we used the "edit" feature to adjust the mini. (A good satellite view is not currently available for this area, so we had to estimate in map view.) When we went back to view the changes, we found that the mini was still in the wrong spot, but when we clicked on it for more info, it revealed the corrected location.
Everyone is encouraged to add info to the Ohio map, as well as edit/correct data for your local trail. Just follow the procedure outlined above to make your own changes and to improve the quality and accuracy of Ohio trail maps!
Welcome! This blog was created to cover the latest on the Gmap we're building for Ohio trail users. We'll also address some related topics from time to time, like that special relationship between map and cyclist that begets the cycling map geek (or nerd, if you prefer).
For those yet to be afflicted, it's akin to trying your first adult beverage and quickly learning you enjoy it... a little too much. You didn't plan it that way, it just happens. Map geeks know what I'm talking about. Once you find that cool map that meets your needs, you just want more.
Until recently, online maps for Ohio trail users were fairly dismal. Many lacked detail and comprehensiveness. As a result, some of you got caught in a search loop continually seeking better maps, occasionally getting your fix from some good topos. While others, perhaps from desperation more than anything else, decided to hack their own. We're guilty on all counts. In fact that's how the Regional Map page came to exist.
Eventually we started messing with Google's API and realized we could shelf the search obsession and sink our teeth into one killer map project. One so large in scope and possibility, that it called for opening some doors to let other Ohio trail map geeks in. Hence this blog and our Gmap project. Feel free to sit in, speak up or geek out.
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