If you’ve been considering riding a bike more and driving less, Google Maps just made it easier for you. As of today, biking directions have been added as an option when searching for directions. In launching this new feature, Google has tried to include as much data as possible on bike trails, and provide the most efficient routes. This feature also allows users to customize their trip, avoid big hills and make use of bike lanes as much as possible.

My husband has been toying with the idea of riding a bike to work on days when he doesn’t have a lot of off-site meetings (which isn’t often) so I tested Google’s biking directions using his work location. I was able to get very precise directions and liked that you can click and drag to change the route directly on the map. Another nice feature is that you can click on other options such as walking and driving so you can compare distance and estimated time.

Hopefully this new feature will encourage people to bike more often and feel confident that they’ve mapped out a safe and efficient route. My applauds to Google.

For more information about Google’s Biking Directions visit:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/biking-directions-added-to-google-maps.html

http://googlemapsbikethere.org