Maps made for walking
Earlier this week, Google Maps added the capability to toggle between their high-readable, easy-to-use map format—a manifold improvement over the likes of Mapquest—and a new "satellite" view that features actual high-altitude photographic representations of the area being displayed.And the crowd went wild!
Justifiably so, I think, because the feature and the whole implementation of Google Maps is just deeply cool.
So this isn't really so much a request for the lazy web as it is a request for the good people of Google Labs.
I want a mapping and directions service that lets me choose between driving directions and walking directions. I most often make use of sites like Google Maps when I'm in a strange city or headed for an unfamiliar destination, but won't be taking a private car.
If I plug in a start point and destination, most map sites will give me directions that are perfectly logical for a driver but don't allow for the fact that someone on foot can go places a car can't—both ways on the sidewalks along a one-way street, for example. I was trying to put together directions for a friend to reach a hotel I'd recommended to them in Chicago, but both Mapquest and Google Maps would have me send them on a six-block roundabout route along Lake Shore Drive, when they could simply schlep their suitcase two blocks by turning onto a one-way street.
I'd really like it if I could tell Google or whoever that I'll be on foot and have it adjust the directions accordingly. Perhaps I could also put in the most I'm willing to walk (say, no more than two miles) and it could warn me if a planned jaunt exceeds my hiking capacity.
Even better would be if directions could, optionally, incorporate both walking and mass transit options. This would be a particular boon for tourists, and especially in cities that offer both convenient and enjoyable strolls and excellent mass transit such as Chicago, London, New York or Washington, DC. (The Chicago CTA Trip Planner is a mini-example of this. It will recommend bus or train routes and then directions for walking the remainder to the desired destination.)
In chatting with friends about this, another feature that would be useful for both drivers and pedestrians would be the ability to tell the mapping application to "use this street" or "omit this street". That way you could conveniently route around ad hoc road blocks such as construction or traffic congestion (which isn't reliably accounted for on the existing sites), or use them to plot your own, personal "scenic route". The application might even, over time, recognize on its own that several users plotted similar routes and offer the shortcuts or scenic routes as alternative directions. Bicyclists and roller skaters would benefit from being able to eliminate certain roadways (interstates, high-traffic thoroughfares) from their directions.
Finally, if these sorts of toggles and options were implemented, it would be very cool if the application could collect, aggregate and then use information about what other users considered the "best route" ("Click here to recommend this route") when offering directions to future users.
How about it, Google? Beyond the whimsy of "I can see my house!" provided by Keyhole satellite pictures, I can't see myself relying on them very often. But maps made for walking? That'd be a step in the right direction.
Comments:
Good idea. The place I've seen walking directions implemented in an app/service for the Palm/Treo devices called Vindigo (http://www.vindigo.com). It ONLY gives you walking directions - which is sorta cool, except for the fact that I'm not usually in a walking city. So I wish I had the opposite feature in it! 
DC's metro system (at wmata.com) does do point-to-point pedestrian directions, incorporating bus & metro travel but also walking directions.
you could try maporama.com walking directions seem to work best in Europe but there are a couple of cities in the US where they work too
I have never been a fan of the Google maps, even though I use Google almost exclusively, otherwise. For maps and directions for driving, I definitely stick with YahooMaps. But, if any of them implemented your recommendations, I'd switch in a second. The new picture thingy is fun to play with - but not really that practical- or at least that I know of.. It was cool looking at the South Beach and scanning out to my hotel by the airport just to remember the great times in MIA.
I just spent quite a bit of email tracking down biking directions for a tourist trip. I'd love to be able to see pedestrian and bike paths, and which roads have shoulders and sidewalks.
Unable to pinpoint precise locations on the MTA Subway Map and frustrated by the sometimes there, sometimes not there nature of the subway information on CitySearch, then try a better way to get around town.
It's called SubwayInfo.com, and it offers a great way to plan your public transportation around the city. Enter you starting and ending addresses and get destination-to-destination directions at the click of a mouse.
On my Garmin 2620 GPS Navigation System, I can specify my mode of transportation and it will calculate directions. Options are: Car/Motorcycle, Bicycle, Pedestrian, or Emergency Vehicle.
We are currently working on a project for a client in Manhatten and we'd love to have Google or Yahoo Maps with Walking directions, but I can't find any way to combine both.
Nevertheless we looked at HopStop.com. It didn't fit our criteria, but my suit you, if you are looking for walking or transit directions in Manhattan - http://www.hopstop.com
Greetings from a bitter cold Moscow (Russia)
Chris
I am trying to figure out the basics of how Google and Yahoo do their mapping routes between Points Of Interest. My hope is that understanding this will enable an understanding of how to incorporate pedestrian and commercial transportation routes and timescales for different user categories. Any leads anyone?
http://sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer/
Gmap Pedometer calculates the distance of a route you choose on a Google Map. It's labor-intensive (especially on curved roads), because you have to plot your own route on the map, but it's a beginning.
This is a great idea. I'm also a Chicago resident, and I found this blog post by Googling for a walking directions search engine. It seems that the UK has one, why not us?
Have you found any leads?
I found it!!! I wanted a walking map as well! I saw your site but nothing was able to walk me to where I wanted to go...
But alas...
http://maps.ask.com/maps#
by default it does driving directions, but click on the walking tab and there you are!!!
Transport for London (TFL) operates a fantastic 'Journey Planner' website (http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en)that has functionality to allow you to plan a route using any combination of public transport, walking or cycling - customising the route accordingly (you can even set the speed at which you walk to get accurate times of how long it should take!). if Google could incorporate at least the walking planner on a global scale it would be fantastic
Thanks to the person who posted gmap pedometer . Incredibly useful!
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Brad L. Graham is a writer, editor, riverboat gambler, fashion consultant, softshoe dancer, professional assassin, freelance factotum and singer of sentimental ballads.The BradLands is his home on the web. 
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