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Apple Maps doesn’t do bike routes which is reason enough not to use it. Google Maps does a very nice job for bikes. If I should wish something of Google Maps i

by dybber 7y ago

Apple Maps doesn’t do bike routes which is reason enough not to use it. Google Maps does a very nice job for bikes. If I should wish something of Google Maps it would be “I bring my bike on the train” routes, which is a very common and nice way to get around here in Denmark at least.

sethhochberg 7y ago
I'm not aware of any major mapping platform which does multimodal journeys very well yet, whoever figures it out first will probably see me switch to their app immediately. Bonus points if they build in cost optimization, ie, "take the train 80% of the way there and then Uber for the last leg, optionally saving you 20 mins for an extra $8, or bring a bike to save 10 mins for no extra cost". I'm reading that Citymapper might do this in London, but I've not seen it in their NYC version unless I'm just being dense?
- svachalek 7y ago
  Yeah, I'd really like something that can solve for "I want to drive to a train station, take a train, and then whatever form of transit can take me the last mile". It's a not-uncommon case for me and it seems both Apple and Google could both basically solve it if only the UI had a way to ask.
  - penagwin 7y ago
    They would have to have live price data across multiple vendors -say uber, lyft, every train station, every bus station, city taxes, if you can bring a bike or not, etc. Getting all that data for a single city would be impressive, let alone around the world. Not that Google couldn't do it of course.
- squeaky-clean 7y ago
  You have to go into your settings and enable CityMapper Labs, as the multimode is still in beta. It works alright. Sometimes it works really well, but I just tested it out now for a short trip and it suggests going too many stops out of my way to get a citibike. Not sure why, as there are bikes available at closer stations. I also don't think it supports the idea of "I have a bike". It's mostly transferring from public transport to a bike share and vice versa. > Bonus points if they build in cost optimization, ie, "take the train 80% of the way there and then Uber for the last leg, It does do this (or at least is doing it in my current test). If I ask for directions from home to LGA, one of the Labs options is to take the G to the 7 to Junction Blvd and then take an Uber for $10-14. An UberX from my home to LGA right now costs $24.60
  - sethhochberg 7y ago
    Ahh, I hadn't thought to check in Labs - thanks for the tip!
- askvictor 7y ago
  Transit (the app) does a pretty decent job of multimodal including public transport, bikes, and rideshare.
Faark 7y ago
Bike routes with offline maps would be a nice addition as well...
- jraph 7y ago
  OsmAnd does that :-)
  - tinus_hn 7y ago
    Works pretty well in areas that have good OSM coverage as well, and it can intelligently follow gpx tracks. The only thing I miss about it is no Apple Watch integration.
- Xylakant 7y ago
  Maps.me offers bike routing on offline maps.
  - Ayesh 7y ago
    Having biked over 2,000 km in Europe and daily commute, I have to say OSM maps are close to being very good. Once Inna while it suggests some path that's clearly not suitable for cycling, but most of the time, the route suggestion takes Euro velo, Dutch cycling routes, etc. These routes are only as good as the data, but at least in Western Europe, the map data is quite accurate.
- chuchana 7y ago
  You can have that with Here WeGo (https://wego.here.com https://wego.here.com).
holycrapwhodat 7y ago
> Apple Maps doesn’t do bike routes which is reason enough not to use it. ...if you need bike routes for daily map app use. Since I don't, should I also not use it because of this reason?
flukus 7y ago
Google maps doesn't understand sections where I want to ride on the road instead of a nearby "bike path", this makes it unusable to me. Quite a lot of my riding is done along a road where basically a whole lane gets permanently take up by cyclists on the weekend but google maps will keep giving me directions to turn onto the bike path next to it, the path is a glorified footpath constantly covered in children and dogs.

by dybber 7y ago

sethhochberg 7y ago

I'm not aware of any major mapping platform which does multimodal journeys very well yet, whoever figures it out first will probably see me switch to their app immediately. Bonus points if they build in cost optimization, ie, "take the train 80% of the way there and then Uber for the last leg, optionally saving you 20 mins for an extra $8, or bring a bike to save 10 mins for no extra cost". I'm reading that Citymapper might do this in London, but I've not seen it in their NYC version unless I'm just being dense?

svachalek 7y ago
Yeah, I'd really like something that can solve for "I want to drive to a train station, take a train, and then whatever form of transit can take me the last mile". It's a not-uncommon case for me and it seems both Apple and Google could both basically solve it if only the UI had a way to ask.
- penagwin 7y ago
  They would have to have live price data across multiple vendors -say uber, lyft, every train station, every bus station, city taxes, if you can bring a bike or not, etc. Getting all that data for a single city would be impressive, let alone around the world. Not that Google couldn't do it of course.
squeaky-clean 7y ago
You have to go into your settings and enable CityMapper Labs, as the multimode is still in beta. It works alright. Sometimes it works really well, but I just tested it out now for a short trip and it suggests going too many stops out of my way to get a citibike. Not sure why, as there are bikes available at closer stations. I also don't think it supports the idea of "I have a bike". It's mostly transferring from public transport to a bike share and vice versa. > Bonus points if they build in cost optimization, ie, "take the train 80% of the way there and then Uber for the last leg, It does do this (or at least is doing it in my current test). If I ask for directions from home to LGA, one of the Labs options is to take the G to the 7 to Junction Blvd and then take an Uber for $10-14. An UberX from my home to LGA right now costs $24.60
- sethhochberg 7y ago
  Ahh, I hadn't thought to check in Labs - thanks for the tip!
askvictor 7y ago
Transit (the app) does a pretty decent job of multimodal including public transport, bikes, and rideshare.

Faark 7y ago

Bike routes with offline maps would be a nice addition as well...

jraph 7y ago
OsmAnd does that :-)
- tinus_hn 7y ago
  Works pretty well in areas that have good OSM coverage as well, and it can intelligently follow gpx tracks. The only thing I miss about it is no Apple Watch integration.
Xylakant 7y ago
Maps.me offers bike routing on offline maps.
- Ayesh 7y ago
  Having biked over 2,000 km in Europe and daily commute, I have to say OSM maps are close to being very good. Once Inna while it suggests some path that's clearly not suitable for cycling, but most of the time, the route suggestion takes Euro velo, Dutch cycling routes, etc. These routes are only as good as the data, but at least in Western Europe, the map data is quite accurate.
chuchana 7y ago
You can have that with Here WeGo (https://wego.here.com https://wego.here.com).

holycrapwhodat 7y ago

> Apple Maps doesn’t do bike routes which is reason enough not to use it. ...if you need bike routes for daily map app use. Since I don't, should I also not use it because of this reason?

flukus 7y ago

Google maps doesn't understand sections where I want to ride on the road instead of a nearby "bike path", this makes it unusable to me. Quite a lot of my riding is done along a road where basically a whole lane gets permanently take up by cyclists on the weekend but google maps will keep giving me directions to turn onto the bike path next to it, the path is a glorified footpath constantly covered in children and dogs.