Surge in cycling due to coronavirus lockdown prompts Google Maps revamp

Updates show which Santander Cycles stands in London have bikes free, and where you can dock bikes at the end of a journey

Google will provide real-time information showing how many bikes are available at docking stations (Getty )

Soaring levels of cycling during coronavirus lockdowns have prompted Google to make considerable updates to their maps in major world cities including London, the company has said.

Since February, requests for cycling directions in Google Maps have jumped by 69 per cent to hit an all-time high in June.

Meanwhile, worldwide search interest for the search term “bike repair near me” hit an all-time high in July - more than double what it was for the same period last year.

As a result, Google has made changes to provide walking directions to the nearest bike hire stand, and now show, in real time, how many bicycles are at docking stations, and then provide onward cycling journey details.

In London the update provides details for the Santander Cycles hire scheme.

“With bikeshare providers seeing sharp increases in usage during Covid-19, it’s even more important to quickly and easily check how many bikes are available at the station you’re headed towards and if there are docks available to drop off your bike near your destination,” Google Maps product manager Vishal Dutta said in a blogpost.

“To give you the most up-to-date bike route, we use a combination of machine learning, complex algorithms, and our understanding of real-world conditions based on imagery and data from government authorities and community contributions.

“We also consider various forms of bike lanes and nearby streets that might be less friendly for your two wheels (like tunnels, stairs and poor surface conditions) so you can have the best and smoothest biking route.”

He added: “You can also see how flat or steep your route will be, so you’ll know if you’re in for an easy breezy ride or one that will really get the heart pumping.”

The company also acknowledged the numerous new cycling and walking facilities rolled out to help people use active means of travel during the pandemic.

“The best route can always change and we are hard at work to reflect new information. For instance, due to Covid-19, many cities are adding and widening bike lanes to encourage cycling and accommodate more riders.

“We’re already working to integrate hundreds of thousands of new bike lanes in the coming months. Local government agencies can provide this data through our Geo Data Upload tool to have their latest bike lane information reflected in Google Maps,” the company said.

The new real-time bike hire features are being rolled out in 10 cities, though London is the only one in Europe. The others are: Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Mexico City, Montreal, Rio de Janeiro, São Paolo, and Taipei.