iPhone Application Helps Cyclists Find the Safest Route

Brooklyn, NY (April 19, 2010)– Ride the City, a free website that helps bicyclists find safer bike routes in cities, launched its first iPhone app for New York City cyclists.

“Ever since we launched Ride the City, we've been getting requests for a mobile version of the application,” said Vaidila Kungys, co-founder. “Just in time for summer, cyclists can take Ride the City’s suggested routes in their panniers, pockets and backpacks no matter where they are in the five boroughs.”

Ride the City partnered with DOOR3, an interactive application development firm based in Manhattan, to design and develop the iPhone app. “This is an exciting organization to partner with,” said Peter Neufeld, President of DOOR3 and a cycling enthusiast himself. “It was a great tool as a website and it's even better as a mobile application. The Ride the City iPhone app takes advantage of the best mobile technology has to offer the urban cyclist – making it a breeze to find the safest route to any location in New York City no matter where you are.”

Key features of the Ride the City: NYC iPhone app include:
• As on the website, the iPhone app steers cyclists toward routes that maximize the use of bike lanes, bike paths, greenways, and other bike-friendly streets. The app avoids high-traffic streets and steep climbs.
• Users can adjust how far they’re willing to go out of the way for safer streets, and can choose a more direct route instead.
• The directions are displayed on an easy-to-read scrollable screen – perfect for double-checking a route when stopped for a break.
• Find the nearest bike shops (and get directions to one) with just one touch.
• Ride the City’s routing data is built on user feedback. The Report an Error button is displayed prominently on the map, allowing users to provide suggestions when the app steers them the wrong way.
• As on the website, Ride the City utilizes a CloudMade basemap that is sourced from OpenStreetMap, the volunteer community mapping project that is making a free map of the world.

The app is available from the iTunes App Store for $1.99, less than the cost of a Metrocard or a gallon of gas! For users who would prefer to not pay for the app, they can access a version of Ride the City formatted for Mobile Safari at www.ridethecity.com/iphone/nyc.

While this iPhone app only covers bike routing for the five boroughs of New York City, the Ride the City-DOOR3 team are finalizing apps for Austin, Chicago, Louisville, San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington D.C.

Ride the City was created by Vaidila Kungys and Jordan Anderson, friends who met while enrolled in the urban planning program at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. The web-based service is available in Austin, Chicago, Louisville, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington D.C. For more information, visit www.ridethecity.com.

DOOR3 Business Applications, Inc. has been designing and building interactive business applications for clients since 2002. For more information about DOOR3 and their iPhone development services, visit www.door3.com, or contact Peter Neufeld directly at peter@door3.com.

Contacts:
Vaidila Kungys or Jordan Anderson
info@ridethecity.com