Every year, I look forward to getting my hands on the New York City Bike Map -- that glorious compendium of safe citywide cycling. You drop it in your handlebar bag before a ride, check it when you need it, and then crumple it into your back pocket when you don't.

One drawback to the paper map when you're lucky enough to have a Transportation Department as active as ours? After 12 months, the printed map can get somewhat out of date.

Ride the City has the solution to the outdated bicycle map problem: an integrated feedback system.

Here's how it works: After Ride the City generates a route, click on rate the route. In the window that pops up, rate the generated route and let us know why it deserves your rating. Please be as specific as possible. "This route sux" doesn't help much; "I would suggest 34th Ave rather than Northern Blvd" helps a lot.

Or you might write, "Dudes - the Bowery? C'mon, are you trying to kill me?" or "Hey - I actually prefer Dean Street to Eastern Parkway for this stretch" or "They just painted a bike lane on Hoyt Street starting at Schermerhorn -- it rules!"

This helps us do three things: 1) fix erroneous route suggestions and problems; 2) adjust routes based on your preferences; and 3) get new bike lanes and paths in the system as quickly as possible.

By using the feedback function, you help make Ride the City better.

Thanks and happy riding.