Google Maps ups the ante
App can now help you plan complex trips.
Dalvin Brown
If your daily journey to work requires that you cycle to the bus stop or train station before taking an Uber to your job, then planning out your route could be getting easier, thanks to Google Maps.
The navigation app is launching a tool to help you plan complex, multipart trips in advance. The latest function, called “Mixed Modes,” is rolling out under the app’s “Transit” tab in the coming weeks, the tech giant announced Tuesday.
The tool will allow you to choose from ride-sharing and cycling options within public transit routes so you don’t have to piece together a series of trips yourself. Public systems will be the primary way to get around, and Google will let you choose walking, biking and ride-sharing for “your first and last mile.”
How does it work?
After you enter the address of your destination in the search box, you’ll get route options that include multiple modes of transportation strung together in one trip.
If you’re taking an Uber or Lyft as part of your journey, “you’ll see helpful information about each leg of your trip: how much your ride will cost, how long the wait is, if there’s traffic on your ride and when your bus or train departs,” Google said in a press release.
The latest addition to the app comes after several Google Maps updates over the summer.
Google added a feature in May that makes ordering food more efficient and incorporated a tool in June that warns you about how crowded buses and trains are in advance. It also added a bike-sharing feature in July.