Google Maps Gets Better
For a while, I’ve thought that Google Maps’ driving directions are inferior to Yahoo’s and MapQuest’s, though Google Maps are superior in other respects. In particular, Google tends to send me on strange, winding paths through local neighborhoods instead of taking slightly longer but more direct routes down major thoroughfares and highways. However recently that changed.
I was searching for directions to a friend’s pool party in New Jersey, and thinking that it really did not make sense to drive through Manhattan and the Lincoln Tunnel in the middle of the afternoon. Going over the Verrazano and Staten Island seemed to make a lot more sense. Then as I was randomly mousing around I noticed a little pop-up that said, “Drag to change route”.
I dragged it down to the Verrazano Bridge, and Boom! It calculated directions going over the Verrazano and through Staten Island! Google still thinks that route will take seven minutes longer, but they don’t know Manhattan traffic and I do. Both routes are severely underestimating the travel time, but one by a lot more than the other.
Overall this is very smooth. There’s no learning curve at all. They didn’t even have to tell me the feature was there. It just worked, and it was totally obvious how to use it. All software should be this easy to use.
July 15th, 2007 at 4:52 PM
Thank you for posting this! I too had no idea that Google Maps had this capability.
I’ve always thought tools like MapQuest and Google probably just do some math related to speed limits and distance and are probably making calculations as if the roadways were empty with a little compensation for some red lights.. I wish their time estimations were correct, I’d spend less time in the car. :)