Disclaimer

This route planning tool is meant to be a guide for users to indicate suggested routes for various preferences, based upon a computer algorithm and available databases. The exact routes that are identified may not in reality be the "best" real-world routes due to limitations in the available input databases (for example, off road paths that are not part of the designated cycling network are not included). Users are urged to exercise judgment regarding the safety of specific suggested routes and to independently verify route information presented here. As you are riding, please keep in mind that you don't have to follow the suggested route. If you see what looks like an unsafe or undesirable stretch in the suggested route, you can decide to walk your bike, or go a different way. This route planning service is provided as is with no guarantee of any kind.

Documentation for Google Maps Bicycle Trip Planner

Cycling Route Data

The cycling routes were obtained from Translink based upon municipal data and periodic cycling network validation studies in which the cycling routes were ridden. Routes are “designated”, meaning that they include special amenities (e.g., cyclist-activated traffic signals, signage) for the convenience of cyclists, and “alternate”, meaning routes that are commonly used by bicyclists but do not have any special amenities. The locations of all cyclist-activated traffic signals are displayed on the map.

Designated and alternate cycling routes as well as the complete road network can also be selected to show travel options without restriction to designated or alternate cycling routes.

Elevation

A digital elevation model at a resolution of 30m was developed by DMTI Spatial. This model is then used to determine the elevation at each node in the road network. From these elevations the slope of each route segment is determined and displayed and the used to identify routes with the least total (uphill) elevation change. The total elevation gain for each route is also displayed.

Most Vegetated Routes

Most Vegetated routes are identified based on a classification of the region’s land cover derived from Landsat ETM+ (Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus) data from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) for 2001. Landsat images were used in a classification and regression tree (CART) model to classify land cover types into seven classes: fresh water, saline water, street tree, forest, grassland, impervious (to water) surfaces (including residential, commercial and industrial buildings, roads and parking lots, and shadows)¹. Classification results of street and park/forest trees plus grasslands are used to calculate the degree of greenness of each street based on percentage of vegetation within 50 m of a street. ¹Reference: Su JG, Brauer M, Buzzelli M. Application of Urban Micro-meteorology to estimation of long-term average air pollution concentrations. Submitted to Atmospheric Environment. March 20, 2008.

Traffic Pollution

A high resolution map of annual average (2003) nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations provides an indication of traffic-related air pollution levels within the region. The map is based upon a land use regression model² (see reference below) in which air quality measurements are linked to geographic feature describing land use, traffic and topography. The mean nitrogen dioxide NO₂ concentration is calculated for the entire route length and route segment concentrations are used to select the least polluted route. Note that the nitrogen dioxide concentrations are best used to determine relative pollution levels for different routes. For reference, the World Health Organization Air Quality Guideline for NO₂ corresponds to 21 ppb (parts per billion) for an annual average and 106 ppb for a 1-hour average. ² Reference: Henderson SB, Beckerman B, Jerrett M, Brauer M. Application of land use regression to estimate ambient concentrations of traffic-related NO_X and fine particulate matter. Environmental Science and Technology. 2007; 41 (7):2422 -2428

Greenhouse Gases Prevented

Since travel by bicycle does not produce and direct emissions of greenhouse gases, we compared the greenhouse gas emissions for travel over a given distance for cycling compared to travel by private vehicle. A typical late-model sport utility vehicle driven 20,000 km a year produces about six tonnes of carbon dioxide, compared to four tonnes for a recent mid-sized sedan, and two tonnes for a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle (Source: Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada: Autosmart). Based on the composition of the passenger vehicle fleet in Canada, we estimated 5 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions forn an annual travel distance of 20,000 km for a typical passenger car, equivalent to 0.25 kg per km travelled. The estimated direct greenhouse gas emissions prevented (kg) during a bicycle trip are therefore equal to the distance traveled in km multiplied by 0.25.

Calories Burned

Lowe (Lowe, M.D., 1988. Bicycling into the future. World Watch Magazine, July/August 1988, Volume 1, No. 4.) estimated that on average a person uses 35 kCal when traveling on a bicycle for a mile. The calories burned (kCal) during a bicycle trip equals to the distances traveled in km multiplied by 21.75.