The Chicago Bike Map app will be free all day on Friday, September 7, in preparation for the Open Streets on State Street event on Saturday, September 8, 2012. The event, in the same location as last year, has been slightly expanded, with a car-free segment on Monroe Street straight to the Lakefront Trail.

If you don’t want to wait, you can download the app now for 99 cents and get access to a bike map on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that doesn’t require an internet connection.

What’s new in the current version?

• Updated map tiles to include the latest new bikeways*
• New points of interest, including sports stadiums, parks, and bike Fixit stations (stands with tools to make minor repairs or adjustments, plus an air pump)
• New crash resource page describes what to do if you get in a collision with an automobile (sponsored by Lawyer Jim Freeman)
• Reorganized points of interest; now sorted by category
• Increased contrast between CTA and Metra lines for better visibility

* This update doesn’t include the buffered bike lane on Clark Street between North Avenue and Walton Street currently under construction; doesn’t include the buffered bike lane on Halsted Street between 69th and 75th Streets. These will be available in the next version.