Mapping as a Planning and Outreach Tool. Empower Administration, Staff, & Commuters to Leverage Open Trip Planner (OTP) Routing

Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) has served at Denver’s Metropolitan Planning Organization since 1977. The organization is dedicated to finding the most efficient, safe, and effective method of transportation planning for the region. DRCOG developed the Way to Go program for Denver, using federal funding, to help citizens find a better commute from all of their ridesharing, walking, and biking options.

Way to Go Platform
TDM provider for Denver region of Colorado
Works with local TMA’s to provide non-SOV options
Federally funded to reduce congestion and improve air quality

Open Street Map (OSM)
All the information in the map is provided by users.
Presents an opportunity for community engagement and growth.
Positive reception at the local level – especially with bicycle advocacy groups.
Helps groups host “mapping parties”, in which attendees meet and focus on a specific map area.
Groups can bring significant value to neighborhoods and communities.

Open Trip Planner (OTP)
“The special sauce that transforms OSM data into walking and biking routes in our system.”
Different ways to calculate a route, but mostly based on the information from OSM.
Information like streets, paths, trails, are labeled in the system.
Ride the City Bike Riding application
Uses OTP to develop safe routes and more direct routes.
Trimet Trip Planner
Lead the way in developing OTP as an algorithm that lets users select their route based on their own comfort level and to combine it with transit options.

Open source technology allows organizations to be engaged with their community, leveraging the power of this tool to “reap the rewards of a user sourced system”. if you would like to compare how the many features of open source technology compare with our demo platform.