So, this Google routes thing.

[sara]

Has anyone tried out the new Google cycle routing thing? Any thoughts?

Locally, it picks up none of my municipality's extensive bicycle-and-pedestrian routes, and seems to ignore those streets which have become de facto bike-and-local-car-only routes.

I think I'm sticking with Bikely for now, alas.

Comments

Alternative: OpenCycleMap

[t_fischer]

Have you tried to use OpenCycleMap? It uses the map data from the OpenStreetMap project, but renders maps specifically for cyclists, i.e. highlights bike paths.
http://www.opencyclemap.org/
http://www.openstreetmap.org/

For routing and rendering of recorded routes, you can go to OpenRouteService. Using the same map data as OSM, you can configure it to find routes for bicycles.
http://www.openrouteservice.org

At the OSM website, you can upload your recorded tours and improve the map, so that others users can profit from your experience. Unlike Google Map Maker, the updated map can be used by anyone (including OpenRouteService and OpenCycleMap), not just Google...

Re: Alternative: OpenCycleMap

[sara]

I hadn't, but heh, looking at it, they are missing basemap coverage entirely for the town that borders mine to the east. So I'm thinking that won't be an immediate step up from either the Google or Bikely options.

I actually really like Google for bus routes -- it's cooked up a variation that gets me to the community college in about forty minutes, which is very good -- so the poor cycle coverage is disappointing.

[darkemeralds]

I love it! Just on principles, really. I entered my everyday Point A (home) and Point B (work) and it returned a route almost identical to the one I actually use. Other maps always seem to prefer a different bridge than the one I use: Google BikeThere picked the right one for me.

The main difference was that the bulk of Google's suggestion for the street part of my ride is on a street two blocks over and parallel to the one I choose, and the difference is quality of paving. Google's choice reflects the "official" bike route mapping of my city. The reality is, that street has old and chunky concrete paving, and the one two blocks over is much smoother and newer asphalt.

I'm hearing lots of misgivings about BikeThere, but I do know that Google is actively seeking input from all the cities it currently covers. They've expressed intentions to eventually cover path surface and incline/decline.

There's a "Report a Problem" link (tiny and WAAAAY down at the bottom of the map frame) where Google is actively encouraging input. It pins a specific location on the map, and you can say what the problem is right there, or make a suggestion.

I'm pretty excited about the potential, though I agree that I won't be using it right away to map unfamiliar routes.

[sara]

That makes me think they're mostly focusing on large cities at this point, then, because Eugene's bike maps are certainly available electronically, and yet in Google-land we have no bike paths.

[darkemeralds]

The official word is "150 cities" were rolled out on day one. This was from BikePortland (terrific blog if you don't already follow it), whose editor interviewed the Google product manager guy at the Bike Summit in DC a couple of days ago.

The video on Maps.Google.com/bicycles says "hundreds of cities," so you know it'll be just like everything else Google does: improvements and expansions will just start appearing.

[sara]

Yeah, our local public transit coverage spontaneously got much, much better sometime in the last couple of weeks, so I imagine that at some point the bike directions will, too.