Forest Preserve District of Will County's interactive map available

JOLIET — The Forest Preserve District of Will County has a new interactive map — but it's not available on iPhones, tablets or other mobile devices just yet.

Cori Crawford, the district's planning and geographic information system coordinator, demonstrated the new web-based mapping tool during Thursday's meeting of the district's Board of Commissioners.

Some commissioners were impressed with the features — including the ability to measure biking and hiking routes on trails, site amenities, coming events and recreational activities, as well as other planning tools.

But Commissioner Chuck Maher, R-Naperville, was quick to note the map was confined to use on a computer desktop because the application requires Adobe Flash — not HTML JavaScript.

“So it's not going to work on iPads, or Apple (devices)?” Maher asked.

He noted people often search for activities on the fly versus planning out day trips in advance. His observation coincides with the search engine giant Google announcing earlier this month that the site now sees more searches from mobile devices than from PCs.

Crawford said the district is considering a shift to a different platform by the end of the year so the map can be viewable on tablets and cellphones.

“We're looking at ways to make that happen,” Crawford told commissioners.

When the district started the interactive map project three years ago, mobile use of the website “was minimal,” she said, so the tool was designed as a trip planner, versus a map on-the-go. Today, about half of the Forest Preserve District website users are mobile, she said.

At Thursday's meeting, Crawford showed commissioners how the mapping system works. Users can sort results by the distance from a starting location, create printable maps with notes, drawings and measurements to share with friends via social media, and learn more about specific sites.

The interactive map is a major step forward compared to the district's previous offerings, Crawford said. Before, the website only offered overview maps of preserves with zoom options.