Saturday 1 November 2008

De-gapping the map

I haven't added much to the Open Street Map lately, because I seemed to be running out of local streets that needed adding. That was until yesterday evening, when I went exploring a part of town that is a couple of miles from home. 

I had worked out that a small trading estate was missing from the map, and I planned to have a quick five-mile ride on the bike: out to the trading estate, backwards and forwards across the service roads, then back home in time for a coffee before the weekly shop. It's hardly the most imaginative way to spend halloween, but it was a good enough excuse for a bit of exercise.

When I got there, I discovered a couple of residential roads that were also missing, so I followed those, and discovered a row of little Victorian artisan cottages tucked behind a road that I use regularly. Nearby I found a back lane that connects two of my regular routes. So I ended up covering almost twice the distance that I had planned, and learned a bit more about  the town I live in, as well as getting the satisfaction of plugging a bigger gap in the map than I had expected.

I already know of a few gaps further afield, but they will involve rides of about 20 miles to get out there, and ride the roads. There isn't really time to fit in a twenty miles outing during the week, so plugging those gaps is going to take a while. However, it looks as though there could be more gaps than I thought close to home.

No comments: