Google Maps is offering directions to the nearest bike sharing as well as the best drop-off at the end of your trip.
Google Maps has been offering specific directions for bikes for years now, and the app can also show you where to find bike-sharing locations. Today , Google is mashing these two options together and showing docked bike share information in the directions — if you don’t have your own bike, it’ll take you to the nearest bike-sharing location and include the closest drop-off spot to your final destination as well. Basically, it combines walking directions to and from the pick-up and drop-off bikes with the best bike path.
Many cities will have access to the bike sharing programme of their choosing from Google Maps. Seeing that Google Maps have a number of bike sharing partners already accessible online, you won’t blindly be led to an location only to find that no motorcycles are accessible.
This is a “coming weeks” update, so do not be surprised if it is not an option immediately, like with many Google updates. Google said it will be available to launch in 10 cities: the United States’ options are Chicago, San Francisco Bay, Washington DC and New York City. It will also be operating in London, Mexican City, Montreal, São Paulo and Tapei, Rio de Janeiro and New Tapei City.
