[talk-au] Sydney cycle routes

[Ian Sergeant]

"Ben Kelley" <ben.kelley at gmail.com> wrote:

> I noticed the other day there is a sign near my house marking a cycle
route.

Time to get on ya bike, Ben..

> The NSW RTA published some maps years ago telling you where the
> routes are, but the maps are very hard to come by now.

The RTA cycle maps are still available

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/trafficinformation/downloads/bicycbicycsydne_dl2.html

The maps are out of date, and were never that good.  Given our, "map what
is on the ground" philosphy to OSM, I would avoid using the RTA
information.

> The signs marking them tend to be white with blue writing, and
> sometimes just a little blue sign with a white bicycle on it. My
> experience has been that you need to know where the route goes,
> because there aren't enough signs to stop you getting lost.

As I mentioned before to Franc, a blue sign does not a cycle route make.

> Does anyone know a reference for these Sydney cycle routes? Does
> anyone know if the "route numbers" are still used? I know some signs
> still have them - if you can find them. e.g. L10 and L11 near my
> house. I'm guessing they are "local" routes from an OSM sense rather
> than regional or national.

Some councils, like Marrickville Council, provide numbered routes through
there LGA.  The councils websites are generally the best source of cycling
information, and there are usually cycle maps downloadable from the council
websites for each LGA.

I don't believe there has ever been a RTA, or Sydney wide numbering system
for cycle routes.

> Have other people been marking the route numbers in Sydney?

There are no route numbers across Sydney.

> It would be good if the cycle map had some detail in Australian
> cities to help find where other people have marked cycle routes.

It would, but we need to be careful, and have objective standards.  OSM
cannot be bikely.com.  On bikely.com just about every road in Sydney forms
part of somebody's cycle route.

My strategy is just to make sure that every cycleway, and bicycle shortcut
(connecting path) is marked, so it will be possible to say to a routing
application - show me the way between two points using all possible
shortcuts, cycleways, and quiet roads only.  The router would skip
multi-lane roads, use 50km/h roads and dead-ends etc where possible.  Much
like the cambridge cycle route finder does.

In other words, find the best route, given the conditions on the ground.
If people find the RTA cycle routes useful, they know where the RTA web
site is, I don't see the need to duplicate the info.

There are some cycle routes that should be maked though.  The Kurnell to
Homebush, Parramatta Valley, ROckdale City Cycle Route, would be good
routes to have on the OSM map I think.

Ian.