I'm pretty late to the whole smart phone revolution.  But when I first got my fancy mobile device (oh, it's so much more than a phone friends) I blogged about TriMet's mobile app center.  Secretly I also longed for an app that would give me turn-by-turn directions...on my bike!  Well, that hasn't happened quite yet but in my search for real-time bicycling directions, I found Bike Map - by Maplets app.

Screen shots from the Bike Map - by Maplets app

This app takes the maps produced by esteemed public agencies such as PBOT, digitizes them, lines them up with GPS data, and makes them look good on a 2.5 inch screen.  While we've had our map available on-line as a pdf for a while, that format just didn't lend itself to tiny screens very well.  Bike Map app has all of the bicycling and neighborhood walking and biking maps that PBOT produces.  It also has maps for many other cities across the U.S. 

This is just one app for the iPhone (and iPad) that I've found.  Have you found others for iPhone or Android?  What are the latest transportation apps in general that you are using?

Last year I posted a Top 10 list of non-resolutions for 2010 that would help me save a little money and incorporate more activity into my everyday life.  They were good guides for the year.  This year, I was thinking about my commute.  I find myself taking transit more often in the rainy months than I used to.  I was feeling guilty about not getting as much exercise but then the New York Times threw me a bone!

I came across an article discussing how much exercise we need in order to stay in good shape.  The research discussed found that exercising as little as once a week can help us maintain previous gains made when we were working out more regularly.  So, if you walked the three miles to work last summer and find yourself looking for a little motivation during winter think about this: you only need to do a little maintenance to keep up past health gains.  Then, when the weather turns good, you're right back where you were.  The walking shoes are ready for the longer amble.

The takeaway for your commute? You don't need to bike 20 miles a day, everyday in order to see healthy physical (and probably mental, but the researchers didn't go into that) impacts.  Once or twice a week biking or combining bicycling and transit, or getting off the bus a few stops early to increase your walking distance can help keep physical fitness levels at your peak summer-time active commuting levels!

So if your 2011 resolution is to lose a couple of pounds or get more exercise, consider the commute.  You don't need to bike everyday or walk the whole way from home to work.  But incorporating some physical activity into your commute can pay big dividends. 

We were thisclose to the snowpocolypse loyal readers, and I for one was scared.  How would I get to work?  What happens to my bus route during the snow?  Can MAX still run in the ice?

We almost had this streetscape. What will we do!!

We want to know your preferred winter weather commute mode.

While we lucked out this time, winter isn’t over yet.  There is still a chance for Snowmaggedon 2011 and we want to know how you’ll get around when it arrives.

Strap on the snowshoes or skis? Grab a thermos of coffee and wait for the bus?  Call in S.I.C.K (snow induced couch kamping)? What will you do?

To enter the contest, tell us your preferred winter weather commuting mode by leaving a comment or emailing us.  We're giving away FREE downloads of the Bike Map app for iPhone.  Three lucky winners will get a $15 iTunes gift card!

And don't forget for next time:

>>>PBOT's main page for snow and ice information.

>>>TriMet's Winter Weather info page.

>>>National Weather Service foreacast for 97204