Google maps for cyclists?

10 comments
By Rosee Woodland | Thursday, Nov 27, 2008 7.30pm

Campaigners are calling on Google to get more bike-friendly.

Cycle routes should be added to the now ubiquitous Google Maps feature, they say.

Some 40,000 people have already put their name to an online petition calling on the planet’s favourite search engine to be more cycle-friendly.  

Google Maps are an extremely popular resource for getting around. Users have the option of viewing a traditional map, or a real satellite photo of the location, enabling them to spot handy landmarks to navigate by.

Live traffic info, and road directions are available for drivers, and some countries, even include public transport options, to aid travellers by bus, tram or train.

But there is no resource for bikes.

The campaign’s website says: “By implementing the “Public Transit' option, Google and the Google Maps team have shown themselves to be concerned and capable world citizens.  

“A ‘Bike There’ feature would be the ultimate statement in support of sustainable development, self-reliance, exercise and healthy living: that’s bicycle directions.”

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The Bike There feature could show cycle lanes, bike paths and other infrastructure, and could show options including the most direct route or the quietest and safest.

Campaigners say the feature would make cycling easier and more pleasant for millions of people around the world. It would empower world citizens to adapt their lifestyles to face the challenges of global climate change and it would help Google fulfil its mission of "organising the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful."

You can sign the Bike There petition here. 

For more brilliant cycle routes visit our routes section at our sister site Bikely.com. You can upload your own route or search for somewhere you’d like to ride.

You can follow BikeRadar on Twitter at twitter.com/bikeradar and on Facebook at facebook.com/BikeRadar.

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User Comments

There are 10 comments on this post

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  • Hah,

    Even if they did add them TeleAtlas' accuracy and reliability would probably result in routes down railways, non-existent bridges where ferries are and routes going right over cliffs. Probably without ever leaving town!

    They can't even mark where a road changes from All Purpose Dual Carriage Way to Motorway properly.

  • Well there is http://www.opencyclemap.org/ which is based upon openstreetmap and is pretty good. Certainly the best cycle mapping I've seen.

  • Riders can do this by adding/sharing their rides at www.mapmyride.com - it uses Google maps for the API and is very easy to use.

  • There is also www.bikeroutetoaster.com which you can plan training or race routes.

  • Another vote for www.opencyclemap.org. Why campaign for everything to be on Google? Google is big enough as it is thank you and the thought of them muscling into another area frankly scares me.

  • Incidentally, I wouldn't go too crazy over the 'Public Transit' option. Round here it only knows about buses, not trains, making it about as useful as a chocolate teapot - especially if you have your bike with you!

  • There is the 'walking' option which works relatively well in terms of riding on paths, going down one way streets (the 'wrong' way) as well as general routes that cars aren't allowed to drive on/through.

    In terms of guessing how long it takes to get somewhere- just basic maths really. Most of us know our average speed.

  • here's a third vote for opencyclemap.org

  • We would like a 'Bike There' feature added to Google Maps - to go with the current 'Drive There' and 'Take Public Transit' options.

    The feature would take into account actual bicycle lanes from the locality being mapped, and it would automatically plan a route for a bicyclist, possibly even providing the cyclist options for either the most direct route, or the most bicycle-friendly (safest) route. The Google Maps-based third party site, byCycle.org (mcts), provides these features for two metro areas - Portland, Oregon and Madison, Wisconsin, and there are countless other mapping initiatives around the world aimed at accomplishing the same goal. We hope that Google will consider building this feature into the core Google Maps service.

  • What more do you know about map my ride? I have heard a little about it and I am heading out to Salt Lake City Utah in April for the FrontRunner Century Bicycle Ride and I was thinking of using it on my bicycle ride. This will be my 4th century bicycle ride that I have ever done and the FrontRunner Century looks easy and I get o go on a vacation. Have you heard of that ride http://www.frontrunnercentury.com I think it will be a great century ride.

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