Welcome to the Dirt Road Database.
Feb 27th, 2008 by johnson
For all of you who have already read the first post, skip this informative perma blurb.
What if there was a mapping site that allowed users to tag roads according to surface, note potable springs, country stores, include pictures of overlooks, vistas, etc. Wouldn’t that be great? Users could search by state or county and get a list of user generated tags, ride info, and visual information. Mapping interesting rides would be a no brainer, even if you didn’t know the area.
The Dirt Road Database is a collaborative mapping project started at Ridelugged, and masterminded by extrafunky @ ride565. Using the ‘my maps’ feature of google maps, users can create and collaborate on maps that help locate, name, and classify non-paved surfaces in thier area. What does this mean? No more guessing when it comes to planning rides. Will the ride be cool, with farm roads and mtn springs, or will it be on a four lane road full of SUVs?
Help us make the Dirt Road Database a functional tool. We need people to start maps in their area, no matter where that is. Peru? Japan? Baltimore? We want it all. Please use the key layed out in the first post here. Leave links in the form of tiny urls in the comments section of any post. I’ll get it, and post it. Make sure you leave the maps open to collaboration, so others can add or correct things as nessesary.
The mapping program takes a little while to learn how to use fluently. Give yourself a few days, as parts are counter intuitive. Firefox works best as a browser, and you must have a google account. They are free, so that’s that.
