Google Maps to expand bike directions to include Canada

Alert for Vancouver cyclists: Google’s bike directions are coming to Vancouver.

Google Maps announced Monday that its Google Maps Bike Directions service, launched in the United States in March, is coming to eight Canadian cities including Vancouver.

The news came at the Sustainable Mobility Summit 2010 in Ottawa, where conference-goers heard that Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Gatineau, Que. and Waterloo, Ont., as well as Vancouver, will get Google’s bike directions. Ottawa will be the first.

The feature, launched in the United States last March, colour-codes roads according to their suitability for biking.

Dark green lines indicate dedicated bike-only trails; lighter green is for dedicated bike lanes along roads, and dotted green lines are for roads that don’t have bike lanes but would be suitable for biking.

Bike Directions is a feature integrated into Google Maps, so just as you can click on bus directions, walking or driving directions, you’ll soon be able to plan your bike route.

Bike riders can use the reporting tool on Google maps to send in information and feedback on routes.