New Map Feature Helps Plan Easy, Safe Bike Routes
We’ve been writing for months about fostering a car free culture in NYC, so news this morning that Google bike maps is now beta is exciting for us. Basically, what Google Bicycle Maps does is to provide you the option of creating a bike route, in addition to a vehicle, public transit or walking route.
Grassroots Effort Convinced Google To Add Bike Maps Layer To Maps
Google introduced the bicycle directions map feature on its blog and cited “all the public support for biking directions that’s been steadily coming in” as motivation to finally roll out the bike map.
The goal, according to Google, was to “include as much bike trail data as possible, provide efficient routes, allow riders to customize their trip, make use of bike lanes, calculate rider-friendly routes that avoid big hills and customize the look of the map for cycling to encourage folks to hop on their bikes.”
A group called GoogleMapsBikeThere.org collected more than 51,000 signatures via an online petition and, apparently, Google listened.
How The Google Bike Maps Feature Works
According to Google, the new “biking directions makes sure to keep (you) on bike-friendly roads and avoid some of the city’s busiest intersections. The time estimate for the route is based on a complex set of variables accounting for the type of road, terrain and turns over the course of (your) ride.”
Through a partnership with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Google was able to add some 12,000 miles of trails directions directly on the map. “This can help you get a better sense of your route, or let you find trails nearby for a recreational ride.”
When looking at a zoomed in version of your map, you’ll see any of three different green lines indicating a bike route.
- Dark green indicates a dedicated bike-only trail;
- Light green indicates a dedicated bike lane along a road;
- Dashed green indicates roads that are designated as preferred for bicycling, but without dedicated lanes
Check out the video above to see how to access the Google Bike Maps feature. If you’re an experienced biker in NYC, you might find new routes to take. If you are thinking about selling your car in NYC and venturing into a car-free lifestyle, this might be the motivation you need.
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