Google announced this week that its Google Maps app will begin rolling out options within its “Directions” service that can be paired with ridesharing, such as Uber or Lyft, and bike routes.
In a Aug. 27 blog post, the company wrote, “…we know that transit journeys can be complex–often involving multiple modes of transportation to help you get around town. Today, we’re making it easy to pair transit directions with biking and ridesharing options so you can travel that first or last mile with ease.”
A user can select the transit tab when searching for directions within Google Maps and the routes featuring ridesharing and cycling options paired with transit directions will automatically be displayed. Should a user select a ridesharing vehicle, they will be notified about ride cost, wait times, traffic conditions and when their transit connection (bus or train) is scheduled to depart. Users may also select the preferred rideshare provider along with other options such as pool or economy.
For bike users, routes will be tailored for cyclists with pertinent information about the connecting transit options and all the information will be factored into the total travel time, providing a reliable estimate of when the user will arrive at the selected destination.
Google says the transit directions paired with biking and ridesharing will begin its rollout in 30 countries around the globe on Android and iOS platforms in the next few weeks with more planned.
