Amherst Maps News

Announcing Map Minute with Mike, Season 2

2015-12-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

We are thrilled to launch Map Minute with Mike, Season 2, which provides step by step brief video tutorials on using the brand new Amherst Maps interface that was announced in a recent Amherst Maps News posting. Videos are being added weekly, so please bookmark it & come along for the journey as the series unfolds.

Happy Watching and Happy Mapping!

-Mike

It's a Whole New Map!

2015-10-22T13:09:00.000-04:00

The Amherst Maps web app is getting a facelift soon and we're currently testing the beta version. It's the same powerful system with a whole new look. We want you to be a beta tester. Give it a whirl today and give us your feedback! Please be aware that this very new and as a developing product, is changing frequently. Your feedback matters and can positively influence the end product.

Amherst Maps 4.2 beta is a modern responsive interface, designed for desktop and mobile use.

Amazingly, the Amherst Maps web app has been around for nearly a decade, without much of a change in the user interface. The beta that we are currently testing is a complete redesign of the user interface, without sacrificing any functionality. The new version is designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices, while introducing a Location button that pans the map to your current location.

The Amherst Maps web app is a system built and maintained by AppGeo, one of the top GIS consulting firms in the northeast US. AppGeo's name for this system is the General Purpose Viewer (GPV) - (also available on GitHub), which is in use by several communities, counties and other government entities throughout the US, including the City of Cambridge, MA, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the City of New Haven, CT. The GPV is a database solution that allows us to integrate online maps with any databases in our organization, bringing the power of information to you!

Happy Mapping,

-Mike

New Aerial Photography on Amherst Maps

2015-03-02T14:27:00.000-05:00

We're excited to announce that new aerial photography of Amherst from Spring 2013 & 2014, has been added to Amherst Maps! This imagery was captured by the US Geological Survey, and is available for download from MassGIS. The 2013 imagery, which covers the southwest corner of Amherst, was part of a project that captured the Springfield urban area. The 2014 imagery covers the rest of Amherst, including Amherst Center, UMass Amherst, North Amherst, East Amherst & Cushman.

This imagery is a fantastic resource that covers the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with a resolution of approximately one foot per pixel. The Town of Amherst remains committed to local efforts to capture even higher resolution imagery, with a flight scheduled for Spring, 2015, conditions permitting, which will provide imagery at a resolution that matches imagery from 2009 & 2004, at 3" per pixel.

Happy Mapping,

-Mike

Dude, Where's My Map?

2015-02-06T12:29:00.000-05:00

Our recent launch of the brand new mobile-friendly amherstma.gov went off without a hitch, but let's face it, it's a completely different looking site. I've been asked a few times, "Dude, Where's My Map?" No worries...Amherst Maps are just as accessible as ever! View this brief video, Dude, Where's My Map?, to see just how easy it is to get there.

Also, don't forget to bookmark our Map Minute with Mike Playlist to access all of our great, entertaining, organic, nutritional, foundational, inspirational, emotional, non-confrontational, instructional, medicinal and harmonious videos.

Happy Mapping!

-Mike

Map Minute with Mike: Episode 10!

2014-10-15T11:20:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a little change of scenery is all that we need to make everything great. In Map Minute with Mike, Episode 10, we learn how to jump out of the map and into a different reality, all without even losing our place!

Also, don't forget to bookmark our Map Minute with Mike Playlist to access all of our great, entertaining, organic, nutritional, foundational, inspirational, emotional, non-confrontational, instructional and medicinal videos.

Happy Mapping!

-Mike

Map Minute with Mike #8 & #9: Our Spatial Doubleheader

2014-09-24T12:28:00.000-04:00

We've posted our first Map Minute with Mike Double Feature! Two videos for the price of one! In Episode 8, we learn to take control of the map display by using the Legend and in Episode 9, we learn a simple way to extract a map image for use in a report.

Also, don't forget to bookmark our Map Minute with Mike Playlist to access all of our great, entertaining, organic, nutritional, foundational, inspirational, emotional, non-confrontational and instructional videos.

Episode 8: Take Control of the Map!

Episode 9: Extract the Image

Happy Mapping!

-Mike

Map Minute with Mike: Episode 7

2014-09-12T09:58:00.000-04:00

Have I mentioned that we really want to help you to make nice maps? In this episode we learn the fundamentals of making a great printable (and portable) map PDF with Amherst Maps. It's time for us to Prepare to Print! Check out Map Minute with Mike, Episode 7.

Also, don't forget to bookmark our Map Minute with Mike Playlist to access all of our great, entertaining, organic, nutritional, foundational, inspirational, emotional and instructional videos.

Happy Mapping!

-Mike

Map Minute with Mike: Episode 6

2014-09-05T14:26:00.002-04:00

Empower yourself by Amherst Maps as a communication tool! In this episode we learn to communicate via the powerful combination of the Amherst Maps Markup and Email tools. We want you to not just be able to draw on the map, but to be able to share your doodles with anyone! See how in Map Minute with Mike, Episode 6.

Also, don't forget to bookmark our Map Minute with Mike Playlist to access all of our great, entertaining, organic, nutritional, foundational, inspirational and instructional videos.

Happy Mapping!

-Mike

Map Minute with Mike: Episode 5

2014-08-29T11:44:00.000-04:00

The Amherst Maps interface allows us all to channel our inner artist, with the map as our canvas. Learn how to use the Amherst Maps Markup Tools in Map Minute with Mike, Episode 5, dedicated to the memory of the great Bob Ross.

Also, don't forget to bookmark our Map Minute with Mike Playlist to access all of our great, entertaining, organic, nutritional, foundational and instructional videos.

Happy Mapping!

-Mike

Map Minute with Mike: Episode 4

2014-08-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

The Amherst Maps interface now includes an integrated Search feature! See how to use it in Map Minute with Mike, Episode 4.

Also, don't forget to bookmark our Map Minute with Mike Playlist to access all of our great, entertaining, organic, nutritional and instructional videos.

Happy Mapping!

-Mike

Map Minute with Mike: Episode 3

2014-08-04T09:47:00.002-04:00

In the newest episode of Map Minute with Mike, we learn the basics of map navigation, along with some hidden gems. Also, don't forget to bookmark our Map Minute with Mike Playlist to access all of our great, entertaining and instructional videos.

Happy Mapping!

-Mike

Map Minute with Mike: Episode 2

2014-07-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

We're back for episode 2 of the Map Minute with Mike, a series of brief videos that showcase some of the more useful features of the Amherst Maps interface. In this episode, we learn about filtering a selection set to narrow results to fit a specific criteria. It's great fun!

Hey, I'm getting better at this! Episode 2 is a full minute shorter than Episode 1. :)

Enjoy,

-Mike

Map Minute with Mike: Episode 1!

2014-07-16T15:33:00.001-04:00

Introducing the Map Minute with Mike, a series of brief videos that showcase some of the more useful features of the Amherst Maps interface. In our first episode, we go over the basics of using the Selection Tools on the Amherst Maps interface. We also briefly introduce the Amherst Maps Mobile interface. Great fun for everyone!

Enjoy,

-Mike

Amherst's Crowdsourced Trail Maintenance App

2013-11-22T14:47:00.000-05:00

Almost anytime of the year is a great time for a hike on one of Amherst's many scenic trails. We want to ensure that your experience on the trails is the best that it can be! Amherst's Trail Maintenance Request app allows you to report any problems that you encounter while out on the trails, directly from your smartphone. Is there a tree down, blocking the trail? Map it, report it & even attached a picture so that we can do our part to clear the trail.

This app recently received coverage on MassLive.com, with a great article describing how it works!

Happy Trails to You!

-Mike

AmherstMA.gov Receives Honorable Mention

2013-01-30T09:21:00.000-05:00

We are thrilled that the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) has selected the Town of Amherst’s website www.amherstma.gov as one of just six municipal websites in Massachusetts to receive its annual Municipal Website Award. The award is an Honorable Mention certificate for community websites in the population range of 15,000 to 49,999, and represents what we regard to be extremely high praise in a very competitive award category. A full story and press release are available here.

Mapping The Amherst Biennial Art Displays

2012-10-04T11:34:00.000-04:00

The Amherst Public Arts Commission's Biennial 2012, an amazing collection of art displays throughout Amherst, is October 6th - November 30th, 2012. You will not want to miss this event, which promises to be Amherst's best art event ever! We were thrilled to be of help by doing what we do best...we made a map. For an occasion as grand as this, we knew that any old map would not do, so we are proud to present the Amherst Biennial 2012 Story Map! Use it as a virtual tour to navigate all of the great displays...they're not just in Amherst Center & we want you to be able to find them all. Make sure that you also check the Amherst Biennial Blog and the Amherst Public Arts Commission's page for information and updates about all of the fantastic Amherst Biennial 2012 events.

The Story Map concept provides a relatively new and popular way of interactively conveying geographic information. The Amherst Biennial 2012 Story Map was built with a template provided through Esri's Story Map site. We used the Storytelling Map Tour template provided via Esri's Story Map Template Gallery.

The beauty of this template is in simplicity, both in setting it up and in navigating it. The locations, content and images are provided via a comma separated value (csv) spreadsheet, which can be edited in any spreadsheet or text editing program. All other settings, including the title, subtitle, etc, are modified within a simple html file that is nicely commented. We were able to launch this story map in a very short period of time, without the need to run any fancy map server technology. Thank you, Esri, for helping to make us look like site designing geniuses!

Amherst Maps for Everyone!

2012-08-31T11:07:00.000-04:00

We've gone live with the newest version of Amherst Maps, which as always can be most easily accessed via our Property Search Page. This update provides much improved levels of browser compatibility, with complete support of all modern browsers including Google Chrome and Mac Safari. You can now use Amherst Maps on most smartphones and tablets, including the iPhone, iPad as well as Android and Windows Mobile devices. This release also introduces a brand new Mobile Interface that makes it easier to browse our maps on a small screened device such as a smart phone.

Our newest Amherst Maps Desktop Interface

The brand new Amherst Maps Mobile Interface

We're excited about finally supporting compatibility across all modern browsers. We've seen a steady increase over the past few years in the use of Google's Chrome web browser and Apple's Safari web browser, both of which were previously not fully compatible with the Amherst Maps interface. The newest release will provide complete access to Amherst Maps to more people than ever. However, we do want you to be aware that certain older web browsers (and their previous releases) are not supported, including Internet Explorer 6 and Firefox 3. Also, users of even the most recent version of Microsoft Internet Explorer should disable Compatibility View. The Amherst Maps interface will display a blank map if Compatibility View is enabled. Compatibility View is enabled or disabled with a button on the far right side of the address bar:

Compatibility View is enabled when the icon is blue.

Compatibility View should be disabled, which displays a gray icon.

For a detailed list of enhancements, check out our previous Amherst GIS News Post. Also, we would love to hear your feedback. Feel free to fill out our brief survey once you have used the new Amherst Maps interface.

Wishing You Cartographic Excellence Always,

-Mike

Sneak Preview! Beta Test Amherst Maps v4

2012-08-17T15:49:00.000-04:00

We're happy to announce that a brand new version of the Amherst Maps web app is now available for beta testing and we want you to be a beta tester. Give it a whirl today and give us your feedback! We've wired up a copy of our Property Search interface in order to give you an easy way to get right into it. Just perform a property search as you normally would & then hit "Map It!" on one of the search results to get to that property on the beta test version of Amherst Maps. You should notice just a couple differences right away:

Amherst Maps now auto-sizes to fill your browser window. Finally, MORE MAP!
The styling is a bit more modern, with rounded edges & a flexible interface (try grabbing the seam between the map & the panels to the right -- you can adjust these).

Ok, no big deal, right? The actual map doesn't look any different, does it? Well, sometimes the biggest changes are the ones that are not immediately apparent. Here are the improvements that we're most excited about:

Browser Compatibility: At this beta release, the Amherst Maps app is finally fully compatible with all modern browsers, including Chrome and Safari. This is a big deal. It really is. Try it out on your Mac, iOS device or Android device and you'll see that you can finally make complete use of this app.
New Mobile Interface: We've added a "Mobile" link just above the map that will switch to a more compact mobile interface. This is great if you're using a smart phone or some other device with a very small screen. The mobile app provides a nice clean map interface that is almost devoid of buttons, tools and extra stuff. Just tap this map for property information, etc. As an HTML5 web app, this mobile interface is compatible with all mobile devices that use a modern browser.


The Amherst Maps 4.0 Beta - Desktop Web App

Amherst Maps 4.0 Beta - Mobile Web App

Amherst Maps is a system built and maintained by AppGeo, one of the top GIS consulting firms in the northeast US. AppGeo's name for this system is the General Purpose Viewer (GPV), which is in use by several communities, counties and other government entities throughout the US, including the City of Cambridge, MA, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the City of New Haven, CT. The GPV is a database solution that allows us to integrate online maps with any databases in our organization, bringing the power of information to you!

Happy Mapping,

-Mike

Parking Made Easier

2011-12-13T12:39:00.000-05:00

We've recently overhauled www.amherstma.gov/parking to make it easier than ever to find information about parking in Amherst Center. This coincides with the introduction of Amherst's new "Pay by space" parking meters, which have been installed in several parking areas. The new parking meters have some nice features, including payment by credit card or cell phone. We have also embedded a simple interactive parking map, powered by ArcGIS.com, which makes it easier to learn about the best places to park. Links to mobile & downloadable versions of the parking map are also included.

Happy Parking!

-Mike

Larger Map | Mobile Map | Download a Printable Map (PDF)

Amherst Official Zoning Map Goes Digital

2011-11-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

Amherst Town Meeting on Wednesday November 9, 2011 voted in favor of modernizing the Official Amherst Zoning Map, replacing the current set of paper maps that constitute the Official Amherst Zoning Map with a digital GIS-based Official Amherst Zoning Map. This change will go into effect as soon as it is approved by the Massachusetts Attorney General and it will immediately make it much easier to make inquiries about zoning in Amherst. The existing official zoning map set uses a basemap that is from a combination of sources, dating back to a 1972 town basemap and a 1956 town basemap. Elements of the existing official zoning map, including property lines, have not been updated for more than 15 years, making it difficult to determine the zoning of some properties.

The new official zoning map is a part of the Town's Geographic Information System, allowing the map to be easily updated and shared as web-based dynamic map services, printed maps and as PDF documents. Information that was previously only available within Amherst Town Hall during business hours will now be available anytime via multiple mediums, including mobile devices and smart phones. Of course, paper copies of the Official Zoning Map will still be available at the Planning Department & Town Clerks Offices at the Amherst Town Hall.

The Town of Amherst established a Geographic Information System in the late 1990's and a set of "unofficial" zoning layers was established at that time. However, there were pieces of information that could not be accurately transcribed into a digital format until very recently. Specifically, the Flood Prone Conservancy (FPC) zoning district, based upon elevations, was very difficult to accurately map until the Town of Amherst's 2009 basemap became available. The 2009 basemap included an extremely detailed terrain model that made it possible to generate one-foot interval elevation contours in a vertical datum that matches the one used when the FPC zoning district was established in the mid 1970s. The result is an FPC district that is more accurately mapped than ever before and which is part of a much more accessible Official Zoning Map.

The old official zoning maps were scanned and georectified as part of the process of modernizing the zoning map layers. The maps lined up very nicely with the current basemap. Above is a view from East Amherst at the intersection of Belchertown Road and Gatehouse Road.

The scanned old official zoning map, current basemap and the new official zoning layers
(zoning boundaries in brown and FPC stream setbacks in red)

The new soon-to-be Official Zoning Map can be browsed in the map below, in the Amherst GIS Viewer or via smart phones and other mobile devices.

View Larger Map

Introducing The Amherst GIS Gallery

2011-11-03T14:24:00.000-04:00

GIS Data is a valuable public resource and we take pride in ensuring that it is available for the public good. Most of the Amherst GIS Data has been available for download or extraction since late 2010, but we recently decided to make it even easier to find via a new interface that we are calling The Amherst GIS Gallery. This provides a launching point for getting the following Amherst GIS data:

Property Parcels
2009 Basemap & 1999 Basemap
2009 Topography
2009 LiDAR (full detail or bare earth LAS files)
2009 1/4' resolution Color Orthophotos
Protected Land & Trails
Tree Points & Tree Inventory Data
Zoning

Additionally, The Amherst GIS Gallery provides some great ways to navigate the various web & mobile maps that we've published on Esri's ArcGIS.com. These maps are built upon the same data and map services as the Amherst GIS Viewer and can be embedded into any website as dynamic content.

The Amherst GIS Gallery was built using Esri's Public Maps Gallery Template 1.3.1. We are grateful to have such thoroughly well designed resources available to make it easier for everyone to get at our data and maps!

Happy Mapping,

-Mike

How to Get Amherst GIS Data

2011-01-18T13:27:00.001-05:00

Amherst GIS has been online since 2006 providing simple ways for you to map your community, but until recently we did not have an effective way to provide our GIS data layers for actual download. With the release of a brand new AmherstMA.gov site at the close of 2010, the primary goal was to provide easier access to almost every type of information that the Town works with. In this spirit, we have unveiled some new self-service options for getting Amherst GIS Data via our new Get Amherst GIS Data resource page. Check it out!

We now provide several ways to get the following layers, with more planned soon:

Property Parcels
2009 Basemap
2009 Topography
2009 Color Orthophotography
2009 LiDAR (full detail or bare earth LAS files)
2010 Zoning

Amherst GIS Data Extraction App

Some of these layers are available as townwide data sets, while others are available in tiled formats. Perhaps the most intriguing and flexible way of getting data is through the Data Extraction App, which provides the ability to define an area and download property parcels and/or topography data in various formats. This app has given us a long sought after way of providing access to large datasets that would otherwise require being sliced into tiles, while also providing a great way to get at the most up to date version of dynamic data like the property parcels, which can change sometimes on a daily basis.

We're excited about making this information more accessible, so please check it out and let us know how we're doing when you have a chance!

Go Mobile

2010-10-05T09:15:00.000-04:00

Do you like to hike in the Amherst area with your iPhone? If so, the free ArcGIS iPhone app is definitely worth checking out! This app uses the iOS GPS capabilities to make it easy to track your location and learn about your surroundings. Among the maps posted by the Town of Amherst for use in this app is a map of our Trail Network with Protected Land and Conservation Areas highlighted.

Once you've loaded the app, just go to "Find Maps" and search for "Amherst"

Open the Trails & Land Conservation map and you'll be all set for hiking!

Don't have an iPhone or an iPad? Don't fret! These maps are also available on ArcGIS.com as well as via the Amherst GIS Viewer. More mobile options are in the works, so check back with us soon!

Enjoy,

-Mike

Amherst Sewer Videos

2010-04-15T16:46:00.000-04:00

The complete Amherst MA sewer video archive covering more than 20 miles of sewer mains is now publicly accessible at http://bit.ly/AmherstSewerVids or via our new Ask The Map page.

It would have been fun to have posted this on April 1st, but these videos actually are the real deal. The Amherst Sewer Department uses a remote-controlled camera to capture video inspections for the purpose of detecting blockages or breaks caused by root intrusions, grease buildup and other common problems. These videos were only available on DVDs stored at the wastewater treatment plant until recently, when they were converted to Flash video format for streaming on the web. The primary purpose of this was to make the videos more accessible to Town staff at locations other than the wastewater treatment plant.

Because we use the same web-based GIS applications to serve staff as we use to serve the public, it was quite easy to make these videos available to the public & why not? It's public information that can be used for the common good. How can sewer videos be good? Aren't they just icky? Well, they're not exactly the best lunch-time entertainment, but seeing what can block or break a sewer line is quite an educational experience that we hope may lead to a better understanding of what not to pour down the drain & how we can all help to maintain better functioning infrastructure.

With that said, what can we all do to ensure fewer sewer service line & sewer main blockages? The answer comes out of the FOG (Fats, Oils & Grease): these are the number one cause of blockages in sewer lines that we can all help to minimize. When dumped down the drain, fats, oils & grease eventually solidify either in the sewer service line connecting to a sewer main, or in the main itself. For more information about this, check out this recent article from Water & Wastes Digest, then check out some of the Amherst sewer videos!

Enjoy,

-Mike

2010 Amherst Trail Map is Available

2010-03-05T14:34:00.001-05:00

The 2010 Amherst Trail Map is now available for download as a 5.9mb PDF. This edition of the map features a completely revised basemap, using shaded relief from the Town's 2009 basemap project, as well a fresher look with more distinct trail symbology. This map is the latest product of years of collaboration among Town staff from the Amherst Conservation Department and Amherst GIS. Printed copies of this map will go on sale in the coming weeks at A.J. Hastings, Inc. in Amherst Center.

For an interactive trail mapping experience, try out the Conservation Area and Trail Search to get right to best trail for you on the Amherst GIS Viewer. The GIS Viewer provides some great tools for planning and mapping your hike!

Enjoy & Happy Hiking!

Mill River / Puffers Pond Conservation Areas, North Amherst,
from the 2010 Amherst Trails Map PDF