29 May 2007

Google Maps showing bus stops and bus times

I noticed a few nifty and new things in Google Maps today. It seems the maps have gone some sort of upgrades. Here are some improvements i have noticed.



Bus Stops

It's started showing bus-stops. To see this, you will need to zoom in at the maximum possible level though.

Click on one of those little blue icons and it goes on to show you the bus stop number (atleast that's what I think it is) and the next bus times! Here's an example.

Underground or Tube Station details.
It does something similiar to the London underground stations (or "tube stations" as they are locally known). Click on one of those signs and it shows you the related lines. It doesnt show the tube times as yet. But I am hoping it's something thats on the to-do list ;)


Here's the link to the tube example.

Motorway junction Numbers.
This has been my most sought after feature as it was painful not to be able to tell junction numbers. Here's an example from near Heathrow. Another suggestion would be to popup details on where that exit leads to (anyone from google reading this?)

My Maps


Another improvement that i've taken to is the "my maps" feature. It's very handy to be able to create directions to your house from the nearest major point. I simply generate a KML (i.e. a google earth file) and pass it on to friends. A good example of its use is the "Famous movies filmed in the UK".