Jonathan Maus of BikePortland.org is back in DC for a bike summit and was one of the first to hear the most exciting bike nerd/computer nerd news I’ve heard in a while: Google maps now has bike directions!
You can choose your transportation mode on Google maps, but until late last night you were limited to opting for walking or a car. Now you can choose biking! GoogleBikeThereMaps.org has the rundown on Google’s work over the past few months uploading nationwide bike map info. Portland’s version works pretty well. It marks out official bike streets (Though the maps are still in beta. A couple, like SW Oak, are missing.) and, I’m embarrassed to say, figured out a less-hilly way for me to bike home than I had found myself. Damn you omniscient Google!
Just like with car travel, Google bike maps estimates the time it’ll take you to get somewhere. It says I can bike from Mary’s Club in Portland to Lusty Lady in Seattle in only 17 hours and one minute.
- Happy Trails!
This is awesome! Now both my primary modes of transportation (walking and cycling) are covered on Google Maps!
Yeah it finds Barbur as a bike-safe road. Good luck with that.
CLEARLY still in beta. Doesn’t show the Rose Quarter Transit Center (NE Wheeler Ave) as a major ‘safe’ route. I suggest folks plug in their routes and then use the ‘report a problem’ link and tell them about any gotchas you notice.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to take a left from the Broadway Bridge on to Natio Pkwy…
OK, this is awesome.
bycycle.org has been up for a few years now.
Ditto bycycle.org. It’s much more comprehensive.
Nothing around the Rose Quarter Transit Center is bike or ped or car friendly. It’s all mass-transit focused as far as I can tell.