Google Maps has recently released a new feature that will be of particular interest to Davis residents and bicycling
enthusiasts. As you know, the town of Davis, California is all about bikes, bike paths and bike lanes.
Now when you use Google maps, you can get bicycling directions from one location to another that incorporates the citys bike paths into your trip.
In the "Get Directions" area of Google Maps, there is now a drop down menu (see graphic at right) which gives you the choice of directions by car, walking, bicycling, or by public transit.
I decided to test the Bicycling directions by choosing two locations in Davis and seeing if Google would know the bike paths in Davis and lead me from the Davis Farmers Market to El Macero golf course on a bike.
From experience, I know that you can avoid almost all city streets and the Richards Blvd. overpass by using the bike path that crosses under Highway 80 behind Borders books and then follow the bike path along Putah Creek that takes you almost all the way to Mace blvd without travelling on a city streets.
So I put these two location into "Get Directions", selected "bicycling" as my option and clicked.
Google returned with a map showing my path to get from Farmers market to El Macero, along with step by step written directions. Google did in fact keep me off many city streets, avoided the Richards blvd. overpass and kept me on bike paths most of the way.(see below)
Google chose to take a different, less scenic bike path that winds through south Davis, than I as a native would choose. I would have stayed along Putah creek rather than wander through South Davis neighborhoods, but why quibble.
The fact is that Davis has so many bike paths that there are many ways to get from one place to another. Choose the quickest route or the scenic route.
You can even modify the route that Google chooses for you by dragging and dropping the path to a new location. Google will automatically re-calculate your path.
This is a great new Google tool and can be particularly useful to new UC Davis students that arrive in town with a bike but don't have the knowledge of the Davis bike path system. To learn more about the bike paths in Davis, you can visit Bicycle Friendly Davis.
Thanks Google! You have added a tool to your search engine that seems to be custom made for Davis residents.
