Transportation Cycles

I tried out the new Bike There version of Google Maps to see what route it suggests to get from the Schlick Cycles shop to the Alterra Coffee Shop at the Bayshore Town Center.

The routes presented seem like good choices although, for some reason, it only suggests the Oak Leaf bicycle trail when going from the coffee shop back to the shop and the route it suggests to get you there takes Port Washington Rd. which is pretty busy for bikes. Fortunately, the app does give two alternate routes that are more bike friendly. In the end though there is an even better route that is not listed but since the app is still in Beta I suspect that is will be tweaked over time. Note also that there is a link in the Beat window that lets you report a problem or suggestion for a route that should help dial in the directions.

Google Bicycling Directions

Overall, it is great to see Google embrace biking with the Bike There version of Google Maps. Here is to a bunch of happy cyclists!

You can check out the Beta Version at:

maps.google.com/biking

From Google:

The directions feature provides step-by-step, bike-specific routing suggestions – similar to the directions provided by our driving, walking, or public transit modes. Simply enter a start point and destination and select “Bicycling” from the drop-down menu. You will receive a route that is optimized for cycling, taking advantage of bike trails, bike lanes, and bike-friendly streets and avoiding hilly terrain whenever possible.