In June 2007, Virginia Tech's Center for Geospatial Information Technology (CGIT) began developing what appears to be the country's first comprehensive statewide database of bike trails.
Expected to be completed by the end of 2008, the database will provide Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and other decision makers with a seamless database in which they can pull information from to improve, repair or extend bike trails throughout the state.
After being contacted by VDOT and DCR, the CGIT, in cooperation with Virginia Geospatial Extension at Tech's department of forestry, began to compile information on trails throughout Virginia from various localities.
"The objective is to represent the state as a whole statewide database and to develop an online decision making tool for VDOT and DCR," project initiator and assistant professor in the forestry department John McGee said. "This will help decision makers to connect independent pieces of a larger system." This database will include everything from bike trails, pedestrian trails and hiking trails. An extensive attribute table will be available with information on the width of the trail, whether or not it's paved, initial construction, recent maintenance, close state routes and amenities available along the trail.
"This is the largest undertaking in regards to a trail database," said Stephen Sedlock, project manager and research scientist at CGIT.Tech graduate students Kristen Dallapiazza and Travis Thekkudan from the department of geology, and Jen Otey from the department of forestry worked with researchers and scientists to help create the database.
Dallapiazza, who is also a research assistant at the CGIT, has organized trail information as well as designed a database of collected geographic information. Thekkudan, also a research assistant, and Otey helped gather and verify trail information.Eric Chrabot, president of Tech's cycling team, said that the team could benefit greatly from such a database. The team's Web site already feat-ures several trail maps that team members can use; however, it is not compiled.
Currently, the database is only intended for decision makers but the CGIT hopes that the database will become public soon after completion. "It's great for people to know they have a resource and it will help to provide information on how to get from point A to point B," said Chrabot, also a business major. Chrabot also included that "having a system like this provides an information system where people can plan where to go, and give people an opportunity to explore Virginia.""Every community in Virginia will benefit from this and it will be felt for a long time to come," McGee said.