Frequently Asked Questions about the Contraflow Map Project

The first question Debbie and I get when explaining our new project is "Hasn't the state already published evacuation maps?"

They have. With funds from the Department of Homeland Security, the State of Louisiana has published the Louisiana Citizen Awareness and Disaster Evacuation Guide for both the Southeast (PDF 33.4 MB) and Southwest (Front and Back) (PDF 6.5MB and 7.8MB respectively MB) regions. The heart of these guides are the contraflow maps:

• Southeast Contraflow (JPEG 1.0 MB)
• Southwest Contraflow (PDF 0.5 MB)
  

We found the maps difficult to digest, so we've been on a tare to convert these maps into a Web-based version. We don't have anything negative to say about the state's maps. The contraflow system was developed less than five years ago, so the state's maps are positive progress. Also, only 44% of Louisiana citizens have Internet access. Printed maps are a necessity

Neither Debbie nor I have picked up a hammer to work on another New Orleans citizen's home who wasn't already a friend, although we have swung a few hammers on our own flooded homes. This is our Katrina contribution.

How did we create the maps?

We used Google Maps API. Google Maps' usability is awesome, their API is continually updated, there is a large group of developers who've released custom code, and there is an active discussion group.

Are the maps accurate?

We've surveyed the accuracy of the maps using satellite imagery, and when satellite imagery was unavailable, we surveyed from the air. However, drivers should always follow law enforcement directions when on the road.

Will the state ask you to remove the maps?

They might. We hope the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Department of Transportation, and the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness will validate the accuracy and make comments, but we hope they won't retard what we consider significant progress in the dissemination of contraflow information.

What's the end goal?

We'd like to map evacuate routes for all of Louisiana's regions.

Can't someone steal your code for the maps?

We hope so.

The maps are publicly available and so is the source code. We used parts of other developers' code for these maps. We hope citizens in other states use our code to map out their regions. If they need help, they can contact us via this blog.