Oxford cyclists asked to map their rides

Oxford cycle group, Cyclox, is asking the city's cyclists to help it plot an online map of the area. The idea is to map Oxford's cycle routes using GPS devices and then bring all the information together in a wiki-type user generated map based on Open Street Map.

One of the beauties of a wiki-style map is that users will be able to update it, adding new routes, or off-road sections, identifying accident blackspots or sections affected by road-works or maintenance work. The group hope to complete the project by the summer and the map will then be open to all.

Cyclox volunteers have already started mapping Oxford's busiest routes, but more volunteers are needed. If you are interested in helping the project Cyclox are giving a presentation tomorrow (22nd Jan), at West Oxford Community Centre in Botley Road starting at 7pm. Refreshments will be served from 6pm.

Cyclox deciided to create the online map after a project to work with the Oxford City Council to create a new cycle map for the city fell through when the funding ran out.

Despite being a city with history of much higher levels of cycling amongst the population than other parts of the UK (along with Cambridge, and York) Oxford has no cycling strategy and last year missed out on £4m of Cycle England funding (which went to Cambridge) as a result.