About
Current Status
byCycle now uses OpenStreetMap (OSM) data for geocoding and routing (AKA address lookup and directions). Since OSM data is contributed by users, it may not be reliable.
The site has recently been rebuilt using a modern JavaScript framework (Svelte 3) and redeployed to a new host (AWS). See Code for more info about the technologies used to build the site.
Because byCycle is a side project, some functionality is missing or limited and there are likely to be quirks/bugs. If you run into issues using the site, feel free to send an email to [email protected] or file an issue on GitHub.
History
The byCycle project was started in November of 2004 by a few house mates living in North Portland. At the time, MapQuest was probably the best known mapping site and we wanted something like that for bikes.
The earliest snapshot on the Wayback Machine is from December 7th, 2004. The earliest date I could find in the source code was December 28th, 2004 (I remember hacking on it while I was visiting my parents that year).
The first versions didn’t even have a map (!). At that point, there was some mild interest locally. In mid-2005, the Google Maps API was released. We added a map soon after and that’s when things really started taking off.
Metro, a regional government agency in the Portland, Oregon, area, supported us by allowing us to use their street data without charge, which was a huge development. Prior to that, we had been trying to collect street data manually!
After that, byCycle became pretty well known in the Portland area and beyond. The site was actively developed for a couple more years, but we didn’t have the money to continue working on it full time.
More to follow…