Forget cars: Google Maps give urban cyclists and pedestrians a leg up

It is tough to do anything online these days without being wrapped up in Google one way or another. The service that began as a search site has rapidly expanded into virtually every aspect of modern day life – and mostly for the better.

I personally use Google apps and products on a day-to-day basis; my nifty little Android phone seems able to manage my life far better than I can on my own, with each byte of its native Google-powered tools, like GMail, Places and Maps.

Google Maps has swiftly become the web-standard for online geotagging – enabling sites to deliver satellite imagery and turn-by-turn, photo supported directions to destinations anywhere in the world.

Now, the Google giant is at it once again with the release of its new turn-by-turn biking directions in 150 American cities this week, as it has previously for driving, public transportation and walking routes.

According to the Google blog, bike directions were the most requested feature by Google Maps users.

“The demand for trail maps and information has never been higher, especially as more people recognize biking as a viable, inexpensive and healthy alternative to driving,” Rails-to-Trails President Keith Laughlin.

Google worked with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, an advocate group for the creation of biking and walking paths throughout the United States, to gather trail-map data.

Pro-bicyclist and environmentalist groups have been lobbying to Google to include bike routes in its Maps tools for quite some time now. One such group, Austin’s GoogleMapsBikeThere.org, had created petitions to develop this tool as early as 2007 – gathering over 51,000 signatures.

Go Google for Green

Motor vehicle emissions make up a tremendous percentage of greenhouse gas emissions: about 31% of total carbon dioxide, 81% of carbon monoxide, and 49% of nitrogen oxide are released into the air throughout the U.S. from motor vehicles alone.

Equipped with Google Maps, travelers can reduce these percentages each day by hitting the streets by bike or foot.

The new Google Maps feature delivers information about bike trails (sans motor vehicles) and streets and routes recommended for cyclists to avoid motor traffic and steep hills – encouraging those “on the go” to cut their emissions and put in some biking-effort.

Although the new feature creates vast opportunities for commuters and avid cyclists to go green and get fit, some argue that the technology, while a good start, still isn’t quite there yet.

According to a mixed review on Oregon Live, “Avid bicyclists, who have long demanded they be treated as equals on the city’s streets, suddenly felt the pain of every driver who has taken a wrong turn after getting glitchy Google Maps directions… Some said the site wanted them to backpedal away from official city bike routes, often adding 10 or 15 minutes to their usual commutes. One regular rider said Google was trying to kill her – directing her to get on Interstate 5.”

Check it out for yourself at http://maps.google.com/biking, or view the video below.