What is the MapitOut tool?

The MapitOut tool is an interactive map that allows you to select a location to live in by entering desired travel times to different locations. You can find out more about the various parts of the Amsterdam Area on the ‘Living in the Amsterdam Area’ section of the I amsterdam website. Internationals who have come to work in the Amsterdam Area can find reliable information about what makes the region unique, including videos and testimonials of people living there.

Please note that the tool is not intended for planning travel in real-time. Refer to real-time travel platforms such as www.9292.nl/en (public transport information) and Google Maps.

Who is the tool for?

Anyone interested in learning more about travel times in the Netherlands can use the MapitOut tool! It was designed in English to help internationals who have come to work in the Amsterdam Area, but now also has a Dutch version. Furthermore it uses many symbols and visual elements.

How does the tool work?

Say you would want to travel for up to half an hour to your workplace by taking public transport, while at the same time being no further than 15 minutes from your children’s school by bike – MapitOut will then show you the overlapping area. This overlapping area shows potential living areas which meet both travel time criteria. You can continue to add more locations, such as your partner’s workplace or a friend’s home. Watch the MapitOut tutorial video to see it in action.

How can I access the tool?

The MapitOut tool can be accessed through the ‘Living in the Amsterdam Area’ page mentioned above or directly at https://mapitout.iamsterdam.com.

What should I do if the tool isn’t working?

Oh no! First, try refreshing the url or try another browser (e.g. Firefox or Chrome). When searching for a location you can enter an establishment or an address, if so please put a comma between the street address and the city. Always click on the appropriate dropdown suggestion. If you still have issues, contact us by email: welcome@amsterdam.nl mentioning you have a question/remark regarding the MapitOut tool. Feel free to include print screens and details of your browser.

Which travel information does it use?

Travel times are calculated using various data sources. Google Maps is used to create the base level map to show where paths, roads and stations are located. Public transport timetable data is then layered on top including agencies such as GVB, FlixBus, NS, R-Net and more. Driving, cycling and walking time models are developed by TravelTime platform, derived from OpenStreetMaps. Find more information about TravelTime.

How is the reach of a cycling and public transport search determined?

The tool assumes the user can cycle at the start of each journey, and that residents can cycle for up to 10 minutes to reach their first public transport connection. It also allows five minutes for the cyclist to park their bike. It also assumes users are willing to walk to an initial transport mode (if quicker) and walk to transfer between modes.

Once the traveller takes a mode of public transport, such as a train, the tool assumes travel continues via public transport for the remainder of the journey. The only exception to this is ferries because residents often take bikes with them on this mode.

Some example journeys within 30 minutes

• Cycle 8 minutes + park 5 minutes + walk 5 minutes + metro 12 minutes (30 minutes)
• Cycle 10 minutes, park 5 minutes + train 15 minutes (30 minutes)
• Walk 12 minutes (12 minutes – still reachable in under 30 minutes)

I would like to offer this tool as well, is that possible?

That is great, maybe we can help. You can always refer to the MapitOut tool. However, you might want to apply the functionality of the tool to your own website. The application is built as open-source, which means you can fork the tool. To make the tool work like the MapitOut tool, you do need to close separate data contracts (e.g. the TravelTime platform). You can find the information required on Github.

A few disclaimers

• Pinpoints on the map. Due to pinpoints placed on the map by Google which can be further than in reality, your search result could be different than expected. One solution could be that if you get multiple suggestions for e.g. a station (or other location), you try several and see if that changes the result.
• Please note that the tool is not a real-time travel tool. The tool shows results (ranges) assuming the public transport journey takes place anytime between a timeslot of two hours during the day but does not take into account the exact time you wish to travel. It could be that the actual travel will take longer, or there is no public transport at a certain time, or you will have to wait longer for a train. Please refer to real-time travel platforms to make sure you can reach your destination (e.g. www.9292.nl/en).
• The shape of the ranges (results of your searches) is adjusted with a processing layer. This means the amount of points have been reduced for better performance of the application. The remaining points are smoothed based on the current zoom level.

Questions?

For any questions or suggestions please contact welcome@amsterdam.nl.