The Disaster Response Exercise: Mapping a Post-Earthquake Environment from a Bicyclist's Perspective

In this presentation, Mike Lang and Elizabeth Davis describe the creation of a printed map that was used for navigation during a bicycle-based Disaster Response Exercise (DRE). This exercise simulated a supply run on the third day after a devastating Seattle earthquake and challenged cargo bicyclists to carry loads of critical supplies, food, and water, while avoiding natural hazards like fault scarps and landslides. The exercise took place on April 24th, 2022 in West Seattle and was a component of volunteer ride support efforts for Cascade Bicycle Club’s “Ride for Major Taylor” event. This map was created in ArcGIS Pro using the 2020 Seattle Bike Map, as well as public GIS data available from the City of Seattle and Washington DNR. By using the Seattle Bike Map layer as the basemap then superimposing natural hazard layers on top, participants visualized the changes that earthquakes might bring to familiar urban bicycle infrastructure. Public datasets used included tsunami inundation zones, liquefaction zones, possible landslide areas, known unreinforced masonry buildings (URM’s), and seismogenic faults. Community Emergency Hub and Little Free Pantry layers were created by geocoding known addresses. This map contributes to larger disaster preparedness efforts in the City of Seattle and empowers members of the cycling community to respond in the event of a disaster. More of these DRE events are being planned for the coming months.