14 DAY TRIAL // To come to the assistance of travelers, but not exclusively to them, Google has developed a tool that allows users to get directions from Google Maps, every time they want to have a sidewalk view of a city. After asking for walking directions, people will be guided to the shortest path to their destinations. "Starting today [July 22], you can tell Google Maps that you want walking directions, and we'll try to find you a route that's direct, flat, and uses pedestrian pathways when we know about them." says Andy Schwerin, Software Engineer at Google, on the official blog.
As Google developers lead us to believe, the system could be compared to a driving GPS, that indicates the way to go, the distance to the destination and which paths are best to choose.
The tool is still in its Beta stage, therefore many obstacles are yet to be overcome by the engineers. The rough edges Schwerin also refers to are related to the fact that the huge database that Google needs in order to offer the most accurate solutions is still under development. In fact, the team is waiting for feedback and even some actual help from users, who can give details about the sidewalks or the shortcuts in their neighborhoods.
"Walking directions work well for short trips in urban areas, but we don't always know if a street has a sidewalk, or if there's actually a special pedestrian bridge for crossing a busy street. There are still a lot of pedestrian pathways we don't know about, and they might save you some time if you find them." adds Schwerin.
Although, in the same statement, Schwerin invited people to use the innovation brought by Google, he also tried to somehow reassure himself that the tool did not expose its users to potential dangers. "Please be careful, and be particularly attentive in high traffic areas." his advice to all users was. Since walking on metropolitan streets can be an extreme sport, it is to be seen how many people will profit from Google's new tool.