Israel Hiking and Biking Maps

Under construction !

Aims:
Providing hikers and bikers with access to open maps of Israel, and involving more volunteers in the local Open GIS community.

Implementation:
A website providing two maps based on open data (OSM + SRTM elevation data) and an interface for planning and sharing routes. Both developed using open-source code.

Benefit for hikers:
Previously, hikers relied on prohibitively-priced printed maps of hiking paths in Israel, which were only available in Hebrew. This limited the access of economically disadvantaged and nonHebrew speaking populations to nature trails. Now everybody can use the free maps on smartphones or print them out.

Benefit for bikers:
Our map marks bike paths in cities and safer streets for cycling. Allowing cyclists to plan safer commuting routes within dense cities in Israel. Grading of mountain bike trails is also shown.

Volunteers:
So far the planning and coding of the maps and user interface relied on a core of three volunteers who communicate and meet regularly, helped by several occasional contributors. All development has been pro-bono.

Mapping community:
The project has attracted a devout community of mappers to contribute to open GIS data. Our supporters exchange ideas, tips and suggestions in a Facebook group with over 3000 members. An educational meeting has been well-attended and a mapping party is soon to take place.

Success:
Our site now attracts around 40,000 views per month. Many more use our open maps within various navigation apps or presented in collaborating websites. This open alternative now pushes government agencies to rethink their closed-garden approach to geo-data.

Needs:
We are seeking funds to recruit UI experts, map designers and mobile developers. Their work would improve the usability of our route-planning interface and the legibility of our maps and help us build a complementary application to benefit outdoor use.

The hiking maps (left) and urban cycling map (right) in their English versions.