MapQuest, owned by AOL, has taken backseat to newer mapping services like Google Maps and Bing Maps of late. But the venerable driving directions site added some exciting new data to its open API: bike routing information. Users and developers will now be able to access routes optimized for biking through MapQuest’s Open Directions Service.
When users or developers request a bike optimized route, MapQuest:
- Avoids roads where bicycle access in OpenStreetMap is set to false
- Avoids all limited access highways
- Favors bike specific paths (road segments that have bicycle access only – no auto or pedestrian)
- Favors walkways with no auto access
- Applies various weights to roads based on the maxspeed tag (ex. favors routes where maxspeed
Bike routing commands have been added to the Open Directions Service Developer’s Guide.
MapQuest began using OpenStreetMap data last summer and started a $1 million investment fund for open source mapping.
Hat tip to Programmable Web
