Photo: reddit user erockenstein
Google Maps is the main tool that drivers turn to for navigation when getting behind the wheel, but the app also comes with similar features for those who’d rather prefer walking or riding a bike.
And the most recent version of Google Maps for iPhone introduces a welcome new feature that comes in handy whenever you’re trying to figure out how much time it’d take to reach a specific destination by bike.
Google Maps can now display ETA information for cyclists not only for their own bikes but for sharing services too, including Divvy and even Lime. So technically, the app can now determine the ETA for a specific route when you use your bike or a rental one, as Google Maps can also search for nearby stations and add the time required to begin or end the trip.
In other words, if you use Divvy and you fire up Google Maps to get navigation instructions to a specific destination using the cycling mode, here’s how the whole thing is going to work.
The app determines the best route to your destination and then provides you with an ETA for your own bike but also for bike or electric scooter sharing services like Lime. If other services are available, Google Maps also checks to see how long it takes for you to reach the closest station, adds that time to your ETA, and then provides you with a final estimate to let you know when exactly you can arrive at your destination.
This is without a doubt a welcome update, especially because the popularity of bike and scooter sharing services is skyrocketing all over the world. For now, this feature is only available in the United States and only on iPhone, but I expect it to go live first on Android and then in other regions across the world too.
Google Maps can now display ETA information for cyclists not only for their own bikes but for sharing services too, including Divvy and even Lime. So technically, the app can now determine the ETA for a specific route when you use your bike or a rental one, as Google Maps can also search for nearby stations and add the time required to begin or end the trip.
In other words, if you use Divvy and you fire up Google Maps to get navigation instructions to a specific destination using the cycling mode, here’s how the whole thing is going to work.
The app determines the best route to your destination and then provides you with an ETA for your own bike but also for bike or electric scooter sharing services like Lime. If other services are available, Google Maps also checks to see how long it takes for you to reach the closest station, adds that time to your ETA, and then provides you with a final estimate to let you know when exactly you can arrive at your destination.
This is without a doubt a welcome update, especially because the popularity of bike and scooter sharing services is skyrocketing all over the world. For now, this feature is only available in the United States and only on iPhone, but I expect it to go live first on Android and then in other regions across the world too.
Google News