Google Maps Adds Subway Stations, Buildings
Google Maps has added a whole bunch of additional data, now showing the locations of major subway stations on the regular maps. They also now feature the names of important buildings, and even the stupid nicknames given to many New York streets. As you can see in the screenshot above, I’ve taken the liberty of adding annoying arrows for every single thing Google has added.
Okay, that might be a bit overkill. Plus, it looks a lot better in hybrid satellite view, reminding me of the familiar Windows Live Maps look:
While Google Maps will never be a substitute for an actual subway map (especially in New York, where the buses are as important as the subways), this is some pretty useful information. At the very least, you can use Google Maps to see what subway stops are near your location, then have an easier time finding it on the subway map.
I’d prefer if Google had gone all-out and created a public transportation layer for Google Maps, or at least Google Earth. Public transportation is as important for driving directions as highways are, and without knowing where the buses and trains are, a lot of people are being left out. I live in New York and don’t drive around, and I’m far from the only one. Sure, there are mashups, but they don’t work as well as they should, and they don’t handle driving directions the way Google Maps does.
Google Maps or Windows Live Maps; whoever adds the trains and buses first is going to win a lot of happy users.
(Oh, and not to beat a dead horse, but Windows Live Maps already had this feature, and theirs looks better.)
(via Digg)
I do like seeing all the buildings in (say) San Francisco or New York though. It helps you get your bearings.
Comment by Matt Cutts | February 9, 2007
I agree that Google should add a public tranportation layer, but for now, check out www.onnyturf.com (it’s slow, but it has the subway lines).
Comment by Hugh | February 9, 2007
I agree that Google should add a public tranportation layer, but, for now, check out www.onnyturf.com (it’s slow, but it has the subway lines.)
Comment by Hugh | February 9, 2007
Google Maps Update
Google Maps has upgraded with some fake 3D buildings on the street maps for a number of cities. This feature is useful when searching for distinctive landmark such as the Pentagon.
Nathan Weinberg over at InsideGoogle reports that Google Maps now disp…
Trackback by Googlified | February 9, 2007
Google Maps adds subway stations and prominent buildings
Google Maps have quietly added subway stations and prominent buildings to maps of New York City, as well as common nicknames for various streets. This is obviously a very helpful feature; hopefully, they’ll roll this out for the rest…
Trackback by Lifehacker | February 10, 2007
[…] Google Maps [via Inside Google] […]
Pingback by Blog Mirrors » Google Maps adds subway stations and prominent buildings | February 10, 2007
the subway stops are useful but why did they mark them with “m’s? nobody calls it the metro if that’s what they were thinking. they should be marked with the actual subway markers like gypsymaps.com
Comment by aric | February 10, 2007
Wait… is that just for the US? or is Canada included? (Metro)
Comment by Lebanese Expatriate | February 10, 2007
[…] This is obviously a very helpful feature; hopefully, they’ll roll this out for the rest of the Google Maps cities very soon. Meanwhile, you can check out the NYC subway station smells.— Wendy Boswell Google Maps [via Inside Google] […]
Pingback by Google Maps adds subway stations and prominent buildings at SoftSaurus | April 6, 2007
[…] Will Richardson wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThis is obviously a very helpful feature; hopefully, they’ll roll this out for the rest of the Google Maps cities very soon. Meanwhile, you can check out the NYC subway station smells.— Wendy Boswell Google Maps [via Inside Google] [… … […]
Pingback by maps » Comment on Google Maps Adds Subway Stations, Buildings by Google … | April 6, 2007
He says:
“Public transportation is as important for driving directions as highways are, and without knowing where the buses and trains are, a lot of people are being left out. I live in New York and don’t drive around, and I’m far from the only one”
… and that goes for me too, another New Yorker. He’s absolutely right.
Comment by g.h.woodworth | June 14, 2007