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Google Maps Introduces Bicycle Data
Santa Monica in Bicycle Mode | View this map here
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Santa Monica in Bicycle Mode | View this map here
Big news from Google came this morning in the form of beta bicycle data on their popular Google Maps program. From routes that consider biking infrastructure and uphill/downhill slopes to marking where off-street, bike lanes and preferred routes are, this is a welcome tool. And, of course, they are welcoming your feedback because they know there's much room for improvement.
This map should help put the pressure on the city of Los Angeles. Looking at Google's bicycle version of the city is like looking at a wasteland of nothingness. Scroll on over to Irvine or Huntington Beach and you'll see a more dense overlay of supposed bicycle friendly streets. At the very least, the city should be making efforts that are presented within the L.A. Bike Working Group's Backbone Bikeway Network, which envisions a basic framework for to get cyclists around the city on a series of prioritized thoroughfares.
A video primer on how Google Maps with bicycle data works is below:
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