Google Maps now with Bike Routes

Here is some great news from yesterday…
Google Maps’ has just added new bike route mapping feature!

Biking directions added to Google Maps

…we wanted to include as much bike trail data as possible, provide efficient routes, allow riders to customize their trip, make use of bike lanes, calculate rider-friendly routes that avoid big hills and customize the look of the map for cycling to encourage folks to hop on their bikes. So that’s exactly what we’ve done.

We’ve also added information about bike trails, lanes and recommended roads directly onto the map. This can help you get a better sense of your route, or let you find trails nearby for a recreational ride. When you’re zoomed into a city, click on the “More” button at the top of the map to turn on the “Bicycling” layer. You’ll see three types of lines appear on the map:

• Dark green indicates a dedicated bike-only trail;
• Light green indicates a dedicated bike lane along a road;
• Dashed green indicates roads that are designated as preferred for bicycling, but without dedicated lane

The avoid big hills feature will be great for our family bike rides this spring & summer!  Thank you Google!  You can plan your own bike route and check out the Erie Canal bike path in Rochester, NY – http://maps.google.com/biking.