Earlier this week, I noticed a Google advertisement on the Red Line. The ad featured the iconic Google Maps pin, and said that Google now has public transportation directions in Google Maps.
When I got home, I went to the URL from the ad, www.maps.google.com/chicago. This took me to a landing page with a video specifically showing how Google had integrated public transit routes into directions derived from Google Maps.
I use Google Maps a lot on my iPhone. The capability to use public transportation in directions isn’t yet available for Google Maps on the iPhone, but my guess is that this functionality will be provided in the anticipated June update.
This added feature should have a promising future in mobile applications. I would anticipate that users will very soon be able to use this function to get public transportation directions while they are on the move. And as Chicago’s public transit system continues to be updated, I would imagine they will make available real time scheduled arrival times, much like Dublin, Ireland’s DART system. Google could then implement this real time information into their public transit database. Ideally, a mobile user would be able to search on Google Maps, and see that the nearest train is 15 minutes away, while the nearest bus may only be 5 minutes away, allowing users to more effectively plan their routes.
Best Quote from the Video: “Driving directions are great, but every time I can I like to use public transportation.” How very Googley of you. Especially since Google provides it’s employees free transportation from downtown San Francisco.
