Active Transportation Plan
How to Use It
Introduction
The Active Transportation Plan Story Map combines information on walking, biking, and
transit within an interactive map. The story map not only depicts regionally-significant corridors and trails, but allows users to zoom in on particular areas of interest and add layers of
data and information at will. This Story Map has a wide range of uses for a variety of people
– from politicians to professionals to pedestrians.
Policymakers/Elected Officials
Mayors, Council members, and other civic leaders may use the Story Map to identify successes and challenges in their own and neighboring communities: locations of key corridors; relationship of the corridors to existing and planned bikeways; where there are
crashes and safety concerns; whether key civic and commercial sites are accessible via
walking, bicycling and transit; which key corridors lack sidewalks; and where there are
strong links among jurisdictions. Likewise, they can identify where connections to neighboring communities can be improved. The information in the story map can be a foundation for
discussion and collaboration with other jurisdictions, and to help outline activetransportation policy goals with their own staffs.
Planners/Engineers
For engineers and planners, the Story Map can serve much the same functions as it does
for policymakers, though from a more technical standpoint. For example, engineers can
identify whether locations with active transportation needs are also scheduled for roadway
or other infrastructure improvements. If so, they can use the Active Transportation Plan’s
Cost Estimator Tool to calculate a ballpark estimate of the cost of adding bike lanes or sidewalks to a project’s cost.
Planners and engineers can also use the Story Map when updating comprehensive plans
and transportation plans, or working on site development designs. The Story Map can help
them identify areas with safety concerns or where people without cars live, places where
people can’t easily walk, bicycle or ride transit, or areas with missing links between jurisdictions. They can use the Story Map to determine who their project partners might be,
whether they are in another department within their own jurisdiction, or their counterparts
in a neighboring community.
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Residents/Bicyclists/Pedestrians/Transit Riders
The users of active-transportation facilities may have a totally different approach to using
the Story Map. It can be useful in familiarizing them with regional planning processes and
giving them a one-stop-shop for information on active transportation facilities and plans in
Central Ohio. But they can also use the Story Map to help them communicate with
neighbors, policymakers, and planners. They can ask, for example, why a bus or bike route
does not connect with another route, park, or an important public building or shopping area.
The map can help them raise questions with community leaders and in public forums to
encourage change and improvements within their community and beyond.
HOW TO USE THE STORY MAP
All features and background information for the story map are in the 10 numbered items
down the left side of the ATP page, starting with 1) Introduction. As you scroll down to numbers 2 through 8, the main part of the page, to the right, will show illustrations of the information in each numbered segment.
When you get to 9) Interactive Map, you will see the ATP Tools box in the lower right corner.
This is the key to discovering the wealth of information in the map. A How-To Guide to the
Interactive Map is below.
The final numbered item, 10) Glossary of Facility Types, lists all of the key terms and best
practices to aid active transportation. Click on each term to find an illustration and explanation of each.
HOW TO USE THE INTERACTIVE MAP
This map is found in item 9 of the Story Map. Look at “ATP Tools” in the gray box at the
lower right corner. There are five items:
Legend
This identifies and explains the different corridor types and the ATP/MTP Planning Area
Layers
This identifies features and points of interest on the map and allows you to select the ones
you want to focus on.
Click on the layer icon to select which of the 11 layers you want to highlight by checking or
unchecking the box. You also can select specific features within each layer. Click on the
words “Commercial points of interest,” for example, to get a more-specific drop-down menu
of commercial activities. To focus your search on industrial parks or shopping centers,
check the appropriate boxes. Make sure you have checked both Commercial points of interest box on the main menu and your selected features on the drop-down menu. The location
of those features will be marked on the map.
Search
This allows you to select the address or location of the area you want to focus on.
Click on the magnifying-glass icon. In the box, type the location (e.g. Broad and High streets,
Columbus, Ohio), place name (e.g. Ohio State University) or exact address. In most cases, it
is best to specify the city and state in typing the locations.
Measurement
This allows you to measure distances between two points in miles, yards, feet, etc.; and to
define and measure a selected area in square miles, kilometers, yards, etc. The tool also
allows you to identify the degrees of latitude and longitude of any point you select.
Click on the ruler icon. The three icons that appear denote area, distance, and location
(measured in latitude and longitude degrees). To calculate area, click on the first icon. Click
on Sq Miles to get a drop-down menu, then select acres, square miles, square feet or whatever measurement you prefer. Move your cursor to the map and click on the points that outline the area you want to define. The measurement of the defined area will appear below
the icons.
Likewise, click on the ruler icon to measure distance. Select the unit of measurement, then
move the cursor to the starting point and click; draw a line to the end point and click again.
The distance will appear at the right to the map. To determine latitude and longitude, simply
click on the last icon, then move the cursor to the map and click; the degrees will appear to
the right of the map.
Print
This allows you to select sections of the map and print them.
Click on the printer icon. Select portrait or landscape on the Layout box. Under Format, the
suggested option for a clear print is PDF. When you click print, a PDF of the map will appear
at the top of your browser. Open the document and click print again to print the document.