The cycling infrastructure in Flanders is not top notch everywhere. The Flemish Government wants to do something about this, but is struggling with a lack of detailed and correct information about specific traffic situations. Moreover, bicycle paths are not always laid out in a standard way. In order to be able to make powerful policy choices, a qualitative injection of supplementary data is needed.
Safer cycling in Flanders thanks to geographical data
Challenge
The Flemish Government wants to map the functional cycle paths (used for transport to work, school or shop). These inventoried cycle paths can then be compared with a theoretical bicycle route network that encompasses the cycle paths that should actually be present. This theoretical cycle network should be of a certain quality in accordance with the standards set by the government (with a certain width, separated from the road by a strip, …).
Solution
Geo Solutions created an online tool with extensive and detailed options for managing the bicycle network and mapping the current cycling infrastructure. Not only can the user describe the cycle path and locate it on a map, he can also sketch the profile of the street on the basis of predefined building blocks. The tool can also carry out conformity analyses, in which the real bicycle network is compared with the ideal (theoretical) bicycle network.
Geo Solutions created an online tool with extensive and detailed options for managing the bicycle network and mapping the current cycling infrastructure. Not only can the user describe the cycle path and locate it on a map, he can also sketch the profile of the street on the basis of predefined building blocks. The tool can also carry out conformity analyzes, in which the real bicycle network is compared with the ideal (theoretical) bicycle network.
Result
The cycling database of Flanders nowadays mentions more and ever better information about bike paths, with widths and distances. Not only can the functional bicycle paths be inventoried, they can also be tested against the bicycle paths that should be theoretically available. This conformity analysis indicates whether or not a cycle path meets the requirements for a safe cycling path and is therefore in line with the high quality requirements of the government.
A broad group of actors has access to the web application (map visualization, reporting possibilities, offering web services, …). As a result they can be more closely involved in the management of cycle paths. Moreover, all this information ensures that it is possible to decide more objectively which cycle paths should first be tackled.
