ckd: A small blue foam shark sitting on a London Underground map (london underground)
blue shark of friendliness ([personal profile] ckd) wrote2008-07-22 09:24 pm

More on the Google Maps walking support

I guess the folks in the Google offices in London haven't worked on this too much yet.

The Greenwich foot tunnel is completely unknown to it; the Google Maps directions send you for a 2.5 hour, 7.2 mile walk that goes through the Rotherhithe Tunnel, instead.

Crossing farther downstream, one would probably use the Woolwich Ferry when operating, or the Woolwich Foot Tunnel just to its east. Naturally, Google Maps sends you back to our old pal the Rotherhithe tunnel...12 miles, for a 4 hour walk!

Further upstream, it does know about the Millennium Bridge (as well as the pedestrian walkway down Peter's Hill), but doesn't use the Golden Jubilee Bridges (aka the New Hungerford Footbridges).

[identity profile] bohemiancoast.livejournal.com 2008-07-23 09:09 am (UTC)(link)
And we already have the stonking walkit.com , and walking directions on the tfl site, so I'm not sure what the niche Google is trying to fill is.

[identity profile] del-c.livejournal.com 2008-07-23 11:24 am (UTC)(link)
Google's current niche is presumably those cities not in the UK. And if they come to support walking in the UK well enough, it will be walkit.com struggling to justify its existence, not google.com.

[identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com 2008-07-23 12:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Just for fun, I plotted a walking trip from Boston to NYC. Said it would take about three days. I'm assuming that's if you don't stop to use the bathroom every now and then...