This project addressed several MnDOT critical issues and strategic directions: easing congestion and improving mobility by making multi-modal transit options more easily accessible. It did so by extending the Cyclopath bicycle route-finding system to support multi-modal routes that combine cycling and transit. This required extensions to the route-finding algorithm - to combine biking and transit appropriately - and user interface - to let users express modal preferences and enhance the visual presentation of routes, e.g., to mark mode shifts. We used the Graphserver open-source software to as the routing engine; by building on existing software, we reduced development effort. We conducted interviews with a number of multimodal transit users to guide the design of the user interface.
This project extended the existing Cyclopath and Cycloplan bicycle routing and planning system. The primary goal of this project was to develop a statewide bicycle map. The map was intended to serve multiple purposes, including: Giving people throughout Minnesota easy access to bicycle routing information, thus making it easier for them to utilize bicycling as transportation; Supporting long-distance bicycle travel and bicycle travel outside of urban areas; Compiling disparate sets of bikeways data - from different sources and in different formats - into a single, unified dataset and tool; Serving as a collaborative tool for public participation and inter-agency cooperation. We achieved these goals by working closely with relevant stakeholders - both end users and planners - over the life of this project. The result is a version of Cyclopath that: Enables bicycle routing for the entire state of Minnesota; Features a significantly simplified and improved end-user interface; Adds useful new features for transportation planners.
