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‘Easy Routes’ mapping project moves toward live routes, signage and printed maps
Summary
Staff presented the 'Easy Routes' low‑stress bicycle mapping effort using Ride with GPS and community testing; plans include adding more routes, testing directionality and producing signage and a printed map for public use.
Charlottesville staff and volunteers advanced plans for the Easy Routes project, a mapping initiative that aims to show low‑stress, navigable cycling routes across the city.
Tommy Sipranek (project lead) described how staff used Ride with GPS to assemble candidate routes, conduct group rides and collect feedback. “These routes will show riders how to get around their city in unique ways,” Tommy said, noting many safe combinations of quiet streets, greenways and short stair/sidewalk connections that are often invisible on mainstream mapping apps.
Members discussed tradeoffs: some suggested adding five more routes for network coverage, noting that directionality matters (northbound vs southbound alternatives) and elevation profiles should be visible so riders can plan for hills. The group recommended overlaying multiple candidate routes and carrying out more road‑testing, including during busier periods, before finalizing signage.
Staff emphasized the project is iterative: the Ride with GPS tool can serve as the phone‑based experience while a future designer could create a printed or more annotated map for broader audiences. Staff proposed moving a modest set of routes into a beta map and then hiring a designer after the community testing phase.
Next steps: staff will add prioritized routes, run additional group tests, and plan signage and a printable map while refining definitions for what qualifies as an 'easy route.'
