Directions, reach and measuring

The Insights tab answers “how do I get there?” and “how far can we get?”.

Only on some subscriptions

The Insights tab (directions and reach areas) is only included in certain Blue Light Maps subscriptions. If you can't see it, or it says it isn't available to you, ask your organisation's Blue Light Maps administrator or contact us.

You need to be signed in to plan routes and draw reach areas. Someone who isn’t signed in can still see reach areas on a map whose reach settings have been saved.

Get directions

Get directions opens Directions.

1. Fill in From and To with a place name or coordinates, or use Pick on map.
2. Choose a Travel mode: Car, Van, Fire appliance, Bicycle or On foot.
3. For motor vehicles, choose Emergency (blue-light speeds) or Non-emergency (normal speeds). For cycling and walking, choose a speed.
4. Check the vehicle’s Height, Width and Weight. Van and Fire appliance fill these in for you.
5. Leave now, or Choose a time. Journey times follow the typical traffic for that time and day.
6. Choose Get route.

You get the distance and the time. Advanced has the time zone, and Respect weight limits.

Reach areas

A reach area shows how far you can get from a place in a set time, drawn as rings: for example 5, 10 and 15 minutes.

1. Choose Add origin, then click the map, or search for a place in Reach settings. You can have up to 50 origins.
2. In Reach settings, choose the travel mode, emergency or non-emergency, and vehicle size, as for directions.
3. Under Time of day, choose Mon–Fri or Sat–Sun and a time window, or Now.
4. Set Drive time (minutes between rings) and Contours (how many rings).

Show reach areas shows or hides them.

Other ways to add origins:

• Apply to: Resources or Both draws reach areas from your live resources as well as your origins.
• A layer with Use as reach origins turned on in its settings gives every pin in it a reach area.
• A pin’s Use as origin does the same for one pin.

While editing, Keep in layer copies the reach areas into the editing layer as ordinary shapes.

Note

Reach settings are saved with the map when you can edit the whole map and you’re in edit mode. Otherwise your changes last until you close the page.

Keep routes and reach areas out of a place

Turn on Not passable for a line, area or cordon in its quick edit panel. Every route and reach area on the map then avoids it:

• an area or cordon closes the roads in and across it
• a line closes the roads it crosses, but not roads it only runs beside

This is useful for a cordon, a flooded area or a blocked bridge. It applies even when the shape’s layer is hidden. When you hide that layer, you’re asked whether to keep avoiding its shapes.

Measure distance

Measure distance turns on the measuring tool. Click along the way you want to measure and the length shows in the bar at the top of the map. Choose Stop or press Esc when you’re done.