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news
Google Maps elevation.pngCyclists help Google make better maps
Cyclists are among the most likely Google Maps users to report problems with the maps, allowing the internet giant to adapt and improve mapping.
If a user tells Google that its directions are wrong, a team at Google’s Project Ground Truth will check out the claims and adjust the map - but it relies on feet - or wheels - on the ground.
According to the Wall Street journal, cyclists produce disproportionately more data adjustments than any other road user, and Google says cyclists are "fanatical" contributors to the system.
Using both roads and trails, it seems that cyclists might cover more, and different, ground to other users - and a mapping error can spell injury or even death for a cyclist - and at the very least a potentially lengthy detour - making them likely to report problems fast.
Unlike other road users, they can also stop and send a quick message using a phone - and many are interested in Google’s fairly new biking directions, which are as yet fairly undeveloped.
Back in 2013 we reported how the internet giant had announced that its biking directions – available in the UK since last year – had been rolled out to six new countries, France, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Poland.
The feature, which was initially launched in the United States and Canada in 2010, was made available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK last year.
In a blog post on the Google Policy Europe website, product manager Kai Hansen said: “Like in other countries, we've added information about bike trails, lanes and recommended roads directly to the map.
“In some countries we’ve worked with partner organisations. In others users have added hundreds of kilometres of biking paths through Google Mapmaker.”
He explained: “I am a big tennis fan, so lets say I live in Hamburg and want to head over from my house in the suburbs to a tournament.
“I am able to grab my Android phone and ask Google Maps for the directions to the stadium. Google Maps will return a route that avoids busy streets and uses suitable bike paths.
“Time estimates for the route will be based on a complex set of variables accounting for the type of road, terrain and turns over the course of my ride. I also am able to turn by turn Navigation for my bike.
“I just plug earphones into my phone, switch over to Navigation and let Google Maps guide me through the city – just as from the car.”
As for adding your own information, Hansen said: “If you know about a new bike trail, please tell us. Either use the “Report a problem” link at the bottom right of the maps screen or jump into Google MapMaker and add the information to our maps.”
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13 comments
You can make the changes yourself, once you get your head around the interface. Just click the "edit in mapmaker" link and off you go.
Annoyingly though, some of the changes I've made have been reverted or rendered completely incorrect, usually by people thousands of miles away with no understanding of local roads whatsoever.
Considering how often I use Google services, I've no problem helping them with their maps. Adding missing trails and public rights of way is extremely useful for when I'm out cycling/running and not sure which way might work.
I doesn't matter whether you contribute to Google or Open Source. In my experience when you need correct data they are both found wanting.
For instance when I am on my 700x 23s I cannot use a canal towpath. However every application Garmin, Plotaroute, RideWithGPS etc.. always send me down the local towpath. v annoying. I update the map base on Open Source to something more applicable but it made no difference when I choose only 'paved' routes. I talked to the guys a Plotaroute (very good BTW) and it seems that the APIs they have to work with can't differentiate between the different categories of surface. So paved / unpaved selection in Plotaroute could not give me the result that I think myself and other road cyclists would need. Shame
Cyclists - stop working for Google for free! Help yourselves!
http://cycle.travel/map seems able to extract paved / unpaved from Open Street Map.
Whilst both Google bike routing and Open Cycle Maps/Cycle Streets are good one thing both lack is the ability to tell the system if your on a road bike or not. The problem with Cycle Streets is that it can send you down NCR routes which are quite often off road. Not good for your precious road bike.
I've reported navigation mistakes to Google Maps in America, but they only send me an update to say it has been recorded. I have yet to see any of those updates that cause any permanent changes. For me, the basic problem on the Google bike navigation has been roads shown that don't exist. They will often show a route on pipeline access or electrical tower access greenways. These aren't usually accessible ( or legal? ) for the general public, so not even rideable for a mountain bike.
Can we remove the Americanism 'biking'? It's lazy for cycling or riding, and I'm yet to see it in a dictionary. Bike should remain firmly in the noun camp, as should shop. I am sadly unable to 'shop a range', just as I may not 'bike to the shops'.
I'm afraid it's pretty well embedded in the English language now, eg in phrases like "mountain biking". The thing that bothers me is that it is ambiguous between motorcycling and cycling.
If you want to contribute to mapping I'd suggest Open Street Map (and its Open Cycle Map sub project). That way everyone benefits from being able to use the data, not just a multinational advertising giant.
definitely, well said, couldn't agree more.
definitely, well said, couldn't agree more
Agreed. I've spent many hours contributing to OSM. I much don't like the idea of contributing my time to create a dataset owned by a large company, and that I can't use the data that I've created except in ways that they see fit to permit! A good example is that I now use the data I created for OSM (along with a lot of data from other people) on my Garmin, free of charge. (http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/05/download-garmin-705800810.html) I couldn't have done that if I'd spent my time contributing to Google's map data.
For navigating, http://www.cyclestreets.net/ and it's accompanying mobile app is very handy. The user interface on the app could be made a little slicker but it's perfectly usable. The options for fastest, quietest and balanced are good. Unlike Google's cycling routes, what this routing engine comes up with often closely matches routes I've developed over a long time and many iterations of trying riding, eg my cycle commute.
I can confirm that they're pretty quick on changing stuff. They had a path near me marked as inaccessible to cyclists which they quickly remedied once I told them otherwise. That one fix would save someone from the surrounding streets a somewhat lengthy 5 mile diversion!
Fanatical cyclists? Who'd have thunk it?