Troubleshooting "Can't Find Route"

From Cyclopath

[edit] Overview

Cyclopath's steps for finding a route are:

1. Find the nearest intersection to the start point.
2. Find the nearest intersection to the end point.
3. Compute a route through the road network from the start intersection to the end intersection.

If no route exists, then you get the "Can't Find Route" error complaining about no route existing. (If you get a different error text, that probably means there is a bug or some other problem; please tell us! See Reporting Bugs on what to do in that case.)

Generally, this error doesn't reflect reality: i.e., in the real world, there actually is a route, and Cyclopath is just confused. This page explains two common sitations when Cyclopath becomes confused, and what to do about them.

What Cyclopath thinks is happening is that there is a group of roads and trails that are not connected to the main map, just as if they were on an island.

[edit] What to do

1. Use the Go To button and put in the address/point that is causing trouble. (If you get the error right away, that means Cyclopath thinks your start point is on an island; if it takes a while, then it thinks your end point is on an island.)
2. Check the next two sections to see what kind of island Cyclopath thinks you have and what to do about it.

If you can't figure it out (it can be tricky), ask the community using the Cyclopath Users mailing list or drop us a line at info@cyclopath.org.

[edit] Islands that are disconnected

Example "island" caused by a disconnected group of roads.

One way to have a group of roads or trails that isn't accessible from the rest of the map is to have an actual gap. If this happens, no one will be able to find this route, because the map is broken for everybody.

For example, at right is a point that would give the "Can't Find Route" error.

The route-finder would try to route to the intersection which is closest to point "FAIL". But that intersection is on an island of roads that aren't connected to the rest of the map - note the gap.

Sometimes the gap is small and not immediately obvious. In this case, you can turn on the Connectivity checkbox under Control panel and mouse around. Whenever you mouse over a road or trail, everything that it's connected to will light up. See if this matches what you expect.

This situation is fixed by connecting the roads or trails in question to the rest of the map. See Geowiki Help for how to edit the map to fix it.

[edit] Islands surrounded by impassable roads

Example "island" caused by a group of blocks being surrounded by roads rated impassable.

Another way to have this problem is if a group of roads or trails is surrounded by blocks that are rated "impassable". The route finder will never route you over anything rated "impassable", even if it means you can't get a route at all. This problem is often unique to you, since ratings are private information.

For example, at right is another point that would give the "Can't Find Route" error. This island is a bit more subtle - it's connected to the rest of the map, but only by blocks which are rated impassible.

Note that it is possible for somewhere to be completely impossible to access by bike, because all the approaches are impassable. Use caution out there.

This situation is fixed by rating at least one of the blocks between the island and the rest of the map "poor" or better. See Rating Objects for more information on that.