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If you use Google Maps as obsessively as I do, you'll be glad to hear it's added walking directions so you can swap your car for your feet.
The beta results aren't great yet, as a quick look-up of the route from London's SmartPlanet Towers to the BFI Southbank cinema proves. Google routed us down the noisy main road of Stamford Street rather than along the South Bank river path -- a route that's just as quick but far more pleasant to stroll along. Still, the results are better than the driving directions which would, on the same route, normally send you walking around the Strand's one-way road system.
If this all sounds familiar to fans of walking sites such as walkit.com, that's because it is. Unlike walkit, though, Google covers much of the world and has a far prettier interface.
Walking, of course, won't just get you fit but is about as low carbon as transport comes -- despite contrarian reports that the planet would be better off if we drove instead of walked.
The walking routes are currently only live on the desktop version of Google Maps, so watch this space for news of walking routes hitting the mobile phone version (which is clearly where you'd really want it).
Lastly, I have to note Google's disclaimer, which makes me giggle: "use caution when walking in unfamiliar areas", it warns. Is it just me, or is that even dumber than the "0g fat" badge on bottled water?
Hit the comments below to share your favourite walking sites with other SmartPlaneteers.
24 July 2008 12:02pm
The main problem I've spotted so far is that the maps Google uses doesn't know about roads which are blocked to traffic but open to pedestrians. These are quite common in suburban areas where traffic calming measures have been introduced, and without having these mapped Google's results are less useful than they might otherwise be.
24 July 2008 01:05pm
If you're after comprehensive walking info nationwide or details of a local walk with a group, check out the Ramblers' Association website: www.ramblers.org.uk/info or www.ramblers.org.uk/walksfinder. You can also download some city walks and walking articles for free from www.walkmag.co.uk
24 July 2008 02:13pm
I think this is one example where Google Streeview will come in useful. If G Maps suggests a route that looks like an overly busy main road on the map, you could check out photos to see the truth
24 July 2008 04:59pm
I'm intrigued, as a walkit.com fan, in what sense is google's interface "far prettier" than walkit's?
25 July 2008 10:22am
Hi Barnowl... it's a very long list but here are a few reasons: Walkit shows buildings on the map making it look more cluttered, Walkit doesn't allow you to zoom in and out with the scroll wheel on your mouse (more a usability issue but that's partly was I was getting at with 'prettier'), the start and finish markers are far clearer on G Maps, I prefer the colour scheme on G Maps, G Maps loads faster when you're dragging the map -- I could go on!
25 July 2008 10:24am
Oh, one more -- I prefer the way G Maps puts the directions to the left-hand side of the map, so you can tally the two up. On Walkit, you have to scroll up and down between directions and the map and can't see them simultaneously (unless you print the page)
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