“Bikesharing is booming as this two-wheeled technology transforms how people get from A to B in cities around the planet,” Google Maps software engineer Andrew Hyatt wrote in a post introducing the new feature. “With an estimated 1,600 bikeshare systems and more than 18 million shared bikes in urban centers worldwide, bikesharing has gone mainstream.”
As Hyatt points out, bikesharing is a “convenient, affordable, fun, and hassle-free way to get around,” and in some busy urban centers can be faster than an Uber or Lyft ride.
Bikesharing services operated by the likes of Lime, Jump, and Motivate let you hire two-wheelers by the minute. Everything operates via the app, including unlocking the bikes and rental payments.
Some services are dockless, though issues with unused bikes blocking sidewalks mean that some cities only allow bikesharing services with docking stations, which is where Google Maps’ new feature comes in.
Google Maps has been rolling out a slew of updates in recent months. Just recently it added a feature that predicts how crowded your train or bus is likely to be, while another update offers foodies a new way to find a restaurant’s most popular dishes. It’s also been building out the app to make it even more useful for drivers, helping them to stay within speed limits and avoid speed traps.
Google Maps has just become a whole lot more useful for bikesharing fans [Digital Trends]