Jerry Hinnefeld
Henry Scott
judithrobert
Jeff Nixa
memooney
Adam Bee
bspitzer
Nate Barnett
Paul Taylor
Danny Graber
lhierony
Phil G-E
petercolan
Jim Moffitt
Judy Lee
2wheelpeddler
dickkuehl
nimbabike
Le Tour de Shore: June 19-20
Posted by Henry Scott on April 6, 2009
We’ve had on and off discussions about a bike route between Chicago and South Bend, yet as far as I know, no one has actually mapped and made available a complete route.
Accordingly, I was excited to hear about an organized ride between Millenium Park in downtown Chicago to Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore and then on to Warren Dunes State Park over two days. The ride is Le Tour de Shore, and participation has been growing steadily in this charity ride since the inaugural voyage in 2004.
Click the above link to the official ride website for more details; there you can also view a route map (both a PDF version and an online interactive version). Although Warren Dunes is too far north for a direct ride between South Bend and Chicago, their route gets one around Gary, which I suspect is the biggest challenge for such a ride. And, once east of Gary I don’t think it would be hard to find a safe yet more direct route to South Bend.
I hope to join the ride this year, and my intention is to then map out and try a complete ride from Chicago to South Bend (unless Adam Bee beats me to it.. perhaps he already has?).
Adam Bee said
Yes, we theoretically have a Chicago-South Bend route mapped out on the Michiana Bike Map. Unfortunately Google seems to have changed the way it updates its feeds, so it’s a bit broken at the moment. I’ll have to see if I can get it back running again…
I’ve never tried the route in its entirety, but I hope to once it gets warm and dry.
Adam Bee said
Well, apparently Google has drastically changed the way it allows exporting and embedding of its maps. As such, its currently impossible to embed maps with more than 50 or so objects. The Michiana Bike Map will be kaput until Google gets around to fixing it.
Maybe this is a good enough reason to start working on local paper maps, though? If Richmond can do it so can we!
Jim Moffitt said
I think paper maps, pdf’s and or GPS waypoints of local routes is a great idea and would love to help come up with a plan..
Adam Bee said
That sounds great to me. How should we get started? I’ll create a thread in the Bike Michiana Google Group and put the word out on the Facebook group, for starters.
Most of what I know about making a bike map is from this guy: http://mark.stosberg.com/bike/bike-route-mapping/
Jim Moffitt said
I’m not sure how I can help, but I quite enjoy making maps and have some experience in the field. I have a few ideas, hope I don’t offend anyone. If there has not been a meeting between Bike Michiana and new South Bend bicycling coordinator or MACOG possibly that would be a place to start? I know MACOG maintains a GIS system that includes a transportation network that possibly bicycle routes could be built on, and I believe they all-ready have published some bike maps. Perhaps a route committee could be formed within Bike Michiana to make recommendations? I think a bicycle commuter map would be an ideal goal. Also, I think there is a need for Backroad County routes too, as well as the long distance routes linking major metropolitan areas.
Adam Bee said
Yeah, I think the main thing that’s required is enthusiasm, so your mapmaking experience is even better!
It looks like the way Richmond produced their map was through the local city/county GIS department, so I think you’re right that MACOG is a natural partner.
MACOG already has a sort of bike map here: http://www.macog.com/MACOGHOM/TransportationPlanning/stjoseph.htm
The City of South Bend has a disjointed, aspirational attempt here: http://www.southbendin.gov/docs/CED_BikeMaps.pdf
(The n stands for schools and the c stands for libraries! Obviously!)
My personal opinion is that these are not very useful maps, and in any case they’re not printed on paper which further limits their practical usefulness.
I agree with you that setting goals is a good place to start, and that a bicycle commuter map would be the ideal goal. Backroads routes and intercity routes are also key, but I think you’d agree that they’re probably outside the scope of a commuter map project?
How does this sound for a goal: Coming up with a route network for a preliminary bicycle commuter map by the end of May? Or, is it possibly a bad idea to try to make a paper map since road conditions and routes are changing all the time these days? (That was my initial thought when making the interactive Google Map, combined with the fact that you can simply fit more onto a virtual map.)
The next question might be where to draw the boundaries. I would guess that Granger and downtown South Bend should definitely be in. Should South Bend/Mishiwaka be on the front and Elkhart/Goshen be on the back? Or should they be two separate maps?
Finally, should we move this discussion to the Google Group or some other venue?
Adam Bee said
The Michiana Bike Map is fixed! It seems Google fixed the bug!
Still, it might be a good idea to start work on a paper map which isn’t subject to the whims of Google.
Jim Moffitt said
Lake forest IL to Michigan City IN ride event planned —>
http://burnhamplan100.uchicago.edu/events/id/956