Path evaluation criteria
One thing that you can’t tell from the Google Maps view of bicycle infrastructure is what the path is really like when you ride on it. Our aim is to fill that gap by personally riding the paths and recording how they rate in terms of Quality and Condition. These criteria are then translated on our map into a path highlight color ranging from green (perfect) to red (not consistent with safe cycling).
- Quality refers to the suitability of the path as bicycle infrastructure. This looks at the type of surface, the width, and how well it is protected from motor vehicle traffic.
- 1 point for having a good biking surface, such as asphalt or concrete
- 1 point for having physical (not just visual) separation from vehicular traffic
- 1 point for having sufficient width for bicycle and pedestrian traffic to flow together safely (2 meters or wider)
- Condition refers to the maintenance and upkeep of the path, and is a little more subjective. Things like cracks, root incursions, the presence of foreign matter, or other defects in the surface of the path cause the score to be lowered.
- 3 points = surface is smooth and clear, a nice ride
- 2 points = path defects will slow you down or make you want to dodge them, but path is fully functional
- 1 point = surface is in pretty bad condition, with lots of cracks, crumbles, root incursions, or debris
- 0 points = path is a real fixer-upper, barely rideable
The Quality score and the Condition score each contribute 0-3 points to the overall total. Thus, a path’s total score ranges from 0 to 6 points, with path highlight colors as follows:
| Score | Description | Grade | Path Highlight Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| --- | Not evaluated | --- | #26E7FF |
| 6 | A great path | A | #24FF15 |
| 5 | A solid path, with maybe a few bumps | A- | #AAFF00 |
| 4 | Fairly good, but needs improvement | B | #CCFF00 |
| 3 | Acceptable, but just barely | C | #FFFF00 |
| 2 | Still usable, but with fairly severe defects | D | #FFBB00 |
| 1 | Marginally accessible in a pinch, but best avoided | D- | #FF7700 |
| 0 | Unsuitable for bike traffic | F | #FF0000 |
Notes
- Even if a concrete pedestrian sidewalk is in good condition and should technically get a score of 5 (because of narrow width), we still color them with Yellow (score of 3) because they’re really not all that suitable for bicycle use, and local ordinances could prevent it (even though Virginia commonwealth law does not). We usually only highlight sidewalks in places where having to share the road with cars is the only other option.