Filter route heat map by activity on mobile

[Devinm5]

When planning a route on mobile, need the ability to filter the heat map by active activity type. 

Currently, when planning a route on mobile, the heat map does not filter by type. For example: If planning a run, the heatmap reflects common cycling paths, mountain biking, walking, hiking, and running paths. This makes it extremely difficult to plan an activity in a new location, and be confident it is actually a commonly traveled path. 

I find when planning a run on the mobile app, using the heat map, I'm often mislead and lead down dangerous high traffic roads with no running path or sidewalk, because the road is commonly traveled by road cyclists. 

Currently, the heat map can only be filtered by activity on the desktop/web application, 

[Jane]

Hello @Devinm5 

Thanks for posting about this.  Can you clarify if you're talking about the Global Heatmap layer or personal heatmap layer?  If you go to map settings when route planning on the Mobile App, you can filter by activity type on your personal heatmap.

[Devinm5]

Hi @Jane !

It's best shown with pictures...but basically, even though you select "running" on the mobile app, the heat map is shown for Running AND Cycling...AND any other activity. Strava is one of my favorite apps for finding running routes, however, it is not safe for route planning if you are unfamiliar with the area - as it will show an unsafe road to run on as a commonly run road via mobile. 

Example below:

From the mobile app, you can see i have the route planning filtered to running. by looking at the heatmap, you would expect that "Tom Query Rd" and "Caldwell Rd" are both very frequently traveled by Strava users and should be "safe" to run on.

But looking at the web application for the same route, and running selected:

You see that those roads in fact are NOT safe or frequently traveled by runners. In fact, Tom Query Rd. is a very high traffic road with no shoulder or sidewalk. When route planning via the website, the heat map filters by activity allowing you to see that most runners go through a neighborhood rather than just run down the busy main road. The mobile app is actually showing those roads are a common cycling route (which is true) however, when I'm planning a run...I don't care about common cycling routes, and it leads to uncertainty in knowing if the route I'm planning is for cyclist, mountain bikers, etc...or runners

I'd like the heat map to have the same filtering capability for the mobile app as there is on the web app, so when I'm somewhere new with just my phone, or just feel like trying to head out for a run, I can be confident that I'm running on a path that other RUNNERS use. The filtered heatmap from the website is great at showing commonly run roads, and helps predict sidewalks, and safe/low traffic situations.

[Jane]

Thanks for submitting your idea. It has been reviewed by our moderation team and is now open to voting.

[Vincenzo]

Ciao Strava team. Are you working on layers or just like on desktop? Ex. On desktop you choose run and you can see run based heatmap and so for bike. It could be very useful to add layers on mobile. You could choose (while creating a running/hiking route) a cycling path that you would not be able to see without the opportunity to change the layer. 

[Cazasjohnston]

This needs to happen, I created a run last week and it took me down a very busy dangerous road

[Devinm5]

@Cazasjohnston agreed! 

@Jane - this is exactly what this enhancement should help with.