• Help
• Journey Planner
• How it works
• OSM
• Developers
• API
• Photomap
• Photo licensing

CycleStreets API (v2)

• Details for:

  * Introduction * Overview & how to specify the API key Cycle routing - plan new journey Cycle routing - retrieve Cycle routing - plan leisure (circular) route Journeys of user Isochrones - show Nearest point Batch routes matrix - create job Batch routes matrix - control job Batch routes matrix - job data Batch routes matrix - delete job Geocoder Photomap locations Photomap location Photomap categories Add photo Update photo Like photo Photo of the day Photomap tags Points of Interest (POIs) Points of Interest (POIs) - types Collisions data Collision report Collisions metadata Traffic counts data Popup cycleways - locations being implemented Popup cycleways - suggested LTNs: Modal filters LTNs: Streets LTN statistics Infrastructure locations Infrastructure location Infrastructure schema GPS tracks - add List galleries Retrieve a specified gallery Create a gallery Update a gallery User authenticate User create Map downloads Status API testing - multiple API testing - run one API testing - list of tests Add feedback API V1 documentation (deprecated)
• API overview
• Obtain API key
• Usage policy
• Uptime policy

Nearest point

This API call finds the nearest point on the cyclable network.

This means that you can then show this name as a user-friendly marker-with-name rather than just a marker, and/or move the marker to the actual point which the route planner would use.

It returns the location of nearest point to the given longitude / latitude on the cyclable network. They may be up to about a kilometre away from the given point.

Nearestpoint avoids hostile roads, uncyclable footways, and ferry routes.

Using this API in a GUI can improve the user experience by showing the user the exact locations before a route is planned. The journey API call internally uses nearestpoint to determine actual waypoints when 'unsnapped' locations are sent.

Example

This example retrieves a location in Cambridge:

https://api.cyclestreets.net/v2/nearestpoint?lonlat=0.11795,52.20530

Result:

{
    "type": "FeatureCollection",
    "features": [
        {
            "type": "Feature",
            "properties": {
                "name": "Senate House Hill, NCN 11"
            },
            "geometry": {
                "type": "Point",
                "coordinates": [
                    0.11782,
                    52.20530
                ]
            }
        }
    ]
}

Request parameters - required

lonlat string

Comma-separated longitude,latitude of the point in degrees. Longitude in the range -180 to 180, latitude in the range -90 to 90. The fifth decimal place corresponds to approximately 1 metre at the Earth's suface; any greater precision is unnecessary.

Request parameters - optional

name string

When the point is on a junction of streets this value is used as a hint to choose the street with the closest matching name.

fields string, default name

A comma-separated list of field names that should appear in the properties listing. Defaults to the single field: 'name'.

The permitted field names are:

• name
• island

Response

GeoJSON object containing one Point feature, as per example above containing the co-ordinates in WGS84 degrees of the longitude and latitude of the nearest on the cyclable (or walkable) network. The nearest point may be up to approximately 1km from the requested location. Includes the following properties as specified by the fields parameter:

name string

The point lies on a street with this name. Street names are based on OpenStreetMap ways.

island a positive integer

Cycle routes can only be found between points with the same island value.

Error response

JSON object containing an error key and a text string.

Example error (text string will vary):

{
    "error": "Could not find a nearby point on the routeable cycle network"
}