Back in April, writer, transportation know-it-all, and year-round cycling enthusiast Steven Vance launched the inaugural version of the Chicago Bike Map app. Billed as a portable version of the City of Chicago’s official printed and online bike map, the app includes CTA and Metra Station stops, “Points of Interest”—like, say, a fix-it station at the Lincoln Park Whole Foods—and resources on how to prevent bike theft or the rules for bringing bikes on CTA trains and buses. And, of course, bike lanes and trails galore—spread all up and down a grid of 228 Chicago neighborhoods.
Vance spoke with me on the phone last week about the app and his plans for its upcoming versions: