Google Maps finally lets you plan 'mixed modes' travel
Sometimes getting home is a journey.
If it takes a few transit methods to get from a party to your front door, Google Maps didn't used to be much help. But, as announced Tuesday, the navigation app can now give transit directions that include different modes.
"Mixed modes" will soon show up on the transit tab and will include ride-sharing and cycling options within the public transit directions. Instead of you having to manually piece together a trip, the app puts together different options for you.
You can get detailed information about ride-sharing, like the cost of either an Uber or Lyft and the different types of rides, like a carpool or SUV and how long it'll take to get to you. The app will give info about the train or bus you're catching and how much traffic to expect on the way. But you still have to book an Uber or Lyft in its respective app.
For cyclists, bike-friendly routes will appear for getting to the train station that way.
The multi-modal planning tool is coming to the Google Maps app on Android devices and iOS phones and other devices in the coming weeks, in 30 countries to start.
Ride-sharing options will be available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Indonesia, India, Japan, Mexico, Tanzania, and the U.S.
Cycling routes in come up in Austria, Albania, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Guernsey, Ireland, Israel, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and some U.S. cities including Portland, OR; Boulder, CO; Minneapolis; Boston; San Jose, CA, Chicago; Washington, D.C., San Francisco; Seattle; and Denver.
Topics Google
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
