Today, Google launched a bike route mapping option to their popular Google maps resource, and Austin was included in the cities with this option in its initial roll out. Google has been on the forefront of adding alternative transportation to their mapping programs with walking and transit options available in the last few years in addition to driving directions. The mapping identifies bike only paths, streets with bike facilities, and other recommended bike friendly streets and also importantly takes topography into account with suggestions that attempt to avoid steep hills.
They have done this project in conjunction with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and have a “Report a Problem” tool to allow you to suggest changes when the route Google produces need changing. Based on listserv and forum discussions going on today, there are already several Austin specific changes that will need to be made including most obviously the inclusion of the Hike & Bike Mopac bridge and the Shoal Creek trail system.
on Mar 10th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
google looks out for everyone
on Mar 10th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
I’m glad Google is finally implementing this. This is especially useful in larger, more urbanized cities where bicycle trails/lanes are not as obvious as they are in Austin. I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished. Hopefully I’ll learn about some Austin trails I was not aware of.
on Mar 11th, 2010 at 11:48 am
I am REALLY underwhelmed – a couple of sample routes I tried had these results:
1. My house in central Austin to my office at the corner of 360/Westbank: They had me riding on Mopac all the way down to 360 and then up 360, instead of the much shorter and 1000% safer traditional route through Rollingwood (Rollingwood, Old Walsh, Wilderness, etc).
2. To Austin High, they actually advise the cyclist to head west on 6th street, then head back east on Cesar Chavez. Yes, Cesar Chavez.
on Mar 11th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
M1EK,
Yeah, it’s definitely a beta version that will need much improvement. When they first launched Google transit, the system would often recommend me take the #1 downtown with a walking route that cut through an impassable green belt. Getting to the #1 actually involves walking a long 2 miles from my house on really unpleasantly busy roads. Meanwhile, the #10 is 2 blocks from my house. Obviously a system meant for cities with a grid system.
Hopefully they feedback system will fix some of that.
on Mar 11th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I am getting the sense of deep structural problems rather than minor blips – things like insufficient granularity of ratings, inability to understand some route connections, etc. There’s really no excuse for putting people on Cesar Chavez when Veterans/Atlanta exists; even the car mapper is aware of that road.
It’s basically using the street address for each property and assuming that you MUST enter said property from THAT street, if I had to guess, but even then you’re stuck wondering how they thought going down Mopac and back up 360, many miles more than the traditional Rollingwood route, was ‘better’.