Print Bike Map
The print bike map is a collaboration of ATSD, PIO and DTS GIS. ATSD designs the facilities and oversees map production, PIO handles art, and DTS GIS puts together all the layers and labels of the map itself.
Each map begins with a review of the previous edition and calls for art submissions from the public. While ATSD and PIO focus on art and messaging, DTS GIS ensures that the map layers in ArcGIS Pro are fresh, and makes any updates as needed. Once the art is finalized and the map is ready for print, DTS GIS exports the map as a pdf and shares it with the team on Adobe Creative Cloud.
Map structure
DTS GIS updates the map in 2 ArcGISPro Projects: #1 focuses on Central Austin (blow-up side) and #2 covers all of Austin (full side). Each side of the map needs its own project due to the amount of data and custom-drawn symbology. Each side of the map displays the same data drawn at different scales.
Layer Groups
All layers are organized into groups to keep elements that belong together at the same drawing order:
Annotations
POIs
Bike Routes
Lower POIs
Base Map
Styling
All layers, color swatches and annotations are drawn from style files that correspond to each scale, with the general naming convention of 1 = blow-up and 2 = full. Complex layers like bike routes and base map streets require advanced layer drawing symbology to represent under- and over-passes accurately. The advanced layer drawing settings are saved in reference layers as a backup.
Annotations (labels)
All labels are set through label classes in each project and are exported to annotations to allow for more flexible editing of individual labels. With each new edition, it is important to check for updated labels for each feature and copying any changes over to the corresponding annotation. While streets and bike routes are the likeliest annotations to see updates from one edition to another, it is important to not neglect parks and water bodies.
Placement, conflict resolution
All annotations are placed along or within the feature they represent as best as possible. Resolve conflicts in favor of the annotation layer higher in the hierarchy and drawing order as shown below:
Bike Routes
Parks
Water
Base map streets
Bike Routes
Labels follow bike route and are placed above the line. Labels should be placed in a predictable location. The example below shows routes of different comfort levels through Hyde Park. Since Speedway is the highest-comfort North-South route, we want to direct the viewer to it:
Make the Speedway label the focus of the area by placing it in the center of the route.
Align cross-street labels along Speedway to reinforce it as the focal point.
Stack the labels of parallel streets to allow the user to easily compare the comfort levels of all options for their ride.
To solve route label conflicts, attempt these edits in order:
Shorten the label (Martin Luther King Jr = MLK Jr)
Street directions and types are ommitted from the labels to save space, unless they are critical to identifying the correct route.
Move the label
Find the straightest segment to place the label along.
If a curved path is the best option, make sure the label is correctly spaced and legible
Adjust character spacing (tracking only)
Exporting the maps
Bike Map PDFs save to: ATD_GIS\Active_Transportation\Bike_Maps\print_map\
In the print_map folder, create a new folder to store the current edition. This map will be published for Bike Month 2022, so it's saved as bike_map_05_22
Create a folder for PDFs from Pro to Illustrator to store your exports. We do this in case we need to store other PDFs, like final drafts, or working drafts with combined art work, etc. Each type of PDfBike Map PDFs save to: ATD_GIS\Active_Transportation\Bike_Maps\print_map\
In the print_map folder, create a new folder to store the current edition. This map will be published for Bike Month 2022, so it's saved as bike_map_05_22
Create a folder for PDFs from Pro to Illustrator to store your exports. We do this in case we need to store other pdfs, like final drafts, or working drafts with combined art work, etc. Each type of PDF saved should have a corresponding folder. including a short readme.txt in each folder explaining what is saved there is a good idea.
File path: ATD_GIS\Active_Transportation\Bike_Maps\print_map\bike_map_05_22\pdfs_pro_to_AI\Blow-up_04132022.pdf
Name: Blow-up_MMDDYYYY
The remaining settings should look like this by default, but make sure the following are as marked below:
Image compression: Adaptive (default) Quality: (default)
Resolution: 300DPI (anything less is not suitable for print).
The remaining settings should unchecked by default
Open the PDF in illustrator save as
Save to cloud documents
Save to the exports from pro folder for the corresponding edition of the bike map you're working on.F saved should have a corresponding folder. including a short readme.txt in each folder explaining what is saved there is a good idea.
Legacy docs
Legacy docs are here.
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