Now there's an online resource where you can tell the world about problems you've encounted while bicycling.
The Cascade Bicycle Club has created www.bikewise.org to map the locations of bicycle crashes, road hazards and bicycle thefts.
Although it was created by the Seattle-based bicycle club, it's available for use anywhere in the world, and the developers are encouraging bicycle riders in other regions to use it.
BikeWise is more than just someplace to vent your anger about the location of a dangerous intersection or poorly maintained construction site. Check into the detailed reports of crashes, for instance, and you see a section on “lessons learned.”
Make biking safer
Created with the help of local cyclist Phil Mitchell, the creators explain:
“We started bikewise in the conviction that we could make biking safer and more fun by gathering good data on the things that sometimes go wrong.”
Using the Google maps format, the tool can help advocates and bicyclists on the road prevent problems.
3 sections
The crash section, for instance, allows victims or observers give details about the location of the collision and how it happened. This can not only warn about bad intersections or stretches of road, but help bicyclists figure out a way to avoid some crashes.
In the hazard section, the website developers plan to create a way that reports are immediately forwarded to appropriate authorities. The hazards are classified by severity. Some record large potholes or cracks in the streets, while others note where bikes do not trigger lights.
The bike theft section is an educational tool as well. It shows areas where bicycles are frequently stolen and how the theft occurred.
You can even get email alerts on each section or get an RSS feed of new reports.
Mobile app
Bikewise project manager Tessa Greegor was interviewd by the Seattle Times about the website. Although this is the first online self-reporting system for bicyclists in the nation, she hopes it will be used by other bicycle clubs.
A mobile application is in the works too.
You can see and browse the tool at http://www.bikewise.org/. You can add your own reports after setting up a login.
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