Open Source Driving Directions?
Even back when I used it regularly, I disliked MapQuest. After a couple of “get on the tollway, exit, then get back on the tollway” directions, you start to second guess everything from them.
Up until yesterday, I was extremely pleased with maps.google.com. Then the big G got me lost. Sure, to google’s credit, it was an unclear intersection. Sitting at the stoplight, I wasn’t sure if I should go straight or, as the directions suggested, turn right. Should have gone straight.
Makes me wonder, is there an open source driving (and walking) directions site?
Something update-able by the people familiar with the roads and destinations. With Google’s Map API, it’s theoretically possible to re-do their directions.
19 January 2007: Dave Winer asks the same question
2 Comments
While I don’t know of an open-source site, and while I share a hatred of MapQuest, there’s one thing of that site I do like:
Roadsigns embedded in the directions. Nobody feels safe about having to read directions while behind the wheel. Even checking directions while at a stoplight can cause slowdowns, so I like how these “infobats” make it easy to use directions at a glance.
And I bet somebody could do better at them than MapQuest…
I’ve also tried to find something like that, to replace Microsoft Streets & Tips 2006. I like the robust features of Streets & Tips, but there is no way to update the street information, so new communities and new roads are not included.
What I really like about S&T is the ability to import a tab-delimite-file of a whole bunch of addresses, and then have the software calculate the most efficient way to visit them all. It’s a great feature for making deliveries, political campaigns, etc. But it’s useless if the road and address information isn’t up-to-date.
I haven’t been able to find something suitable yet, but I did find this site that may give you some ideas on where you can look: http://opensourcegis.org/