I'm reading between the lines here, but it's my hunch Ms. Hastings, GIS Manager in Plainfield is behind something important: the village submitted address information to both Tele Atlas and NAVTEQ after calls from residents concerned their addresses were not found in online maps and sat nav devices. Not only that, but the article in the local paper lists all the places those who are still unhappy can go to provide corrections.

I've read too many articles that "complain" about errors and don't follow through with any sort of action or suggestions for residents to take action. So, kudos to Ms. Hastings.

- Suburban Chicago News

The article highlights Google's and MapQuest's walking offerings and local bicycle routing efforts. Of note:

In Broward County, Fla., planners are working on a project that would let users factor in things such as speed limits, traffic volume, lane widths and shortcuts.
The project, shooting for online launch by next summer, has programmers looking at aerial maps and punching key factors into the route-setting algorithms. They also incorporate things like where people or bikers can make left turns but cars can't.

If a car can't make a left turn, a bike can't either. Unless of course the cyclist dismounts and become a pedestrian. (That's rare where I live.)

This week, Google Maps launched a feature that offers walking directions for trips shorter than 6.2 miles. That is being added to a feature already helping visitors find the best mass transit routes.

I didn't realize there was a distance limit. The API would be great for the many sites aimed at race walkers, runners, etc.

But it [Tele Atlas] is open to accepting bike and pedestrian route information from cities and community groups if it can be verified from multiple sources.

TomTom could take the lead here tapping into the cycling, even walking communities... My gut feeling is the money is not there for such an effort, however.

This tidbit was in Reuters coverage of today's Google/Tele Atlas deal:

De Taeye said he expected real-time, turn-by-turn navigation applications to be available for Apple's iPhone despite reports that Apple's rules for developing iPhone software appeared not to allow it.

"We are making sure that navigation is an application that is allowed," De Taeye said. "If there is any restriction on the platform, that indeed has to do with the restrictions that we have in our contracts. Navigation is allowed, provided that the right fees are paid."

Get out your checkbooks!