Apple Maps Now Displays Nearby Bike-Sharing Stations in 175 Cities

[MacRumors]

Apple Maps recently inked a deal with Ito World, which adds bike-sharing data to Apple Maps in more than 175 cities across 36 countries, reports TechCrunch.

The feature went live this morning, and Apple Maps users can now type "bike sharing" or a specific service name like GoBike into the search bar to get results for nearby bike sharing options.

Apple previously had some available bike-sharing data in a few cities in Apple Maps, but with the Ito World partnership, it's more widely available. Ito World has signed deals with dozens of companies to license bike sharing data.

Bike sharing information is somewhat limited at the current time, as all Apple Maps lists is the location of the bike sharing stop rather than information on available bikes or empty docks for dropping off a bike.

According to TechCrunch, Apple Maps supports a wide range of services like Citi Bike in New York City, Ford GoBike in San Francisco, Biketown in Portland, Santander Cycles in London, Bicing in Barcelona, BIXI in Montreal, and more.

Article Link: Apple Maps Now Displays Nearby Bike-Sharing Stations in 175 Cities

 

[Amadeo]

Does this mean biking directions are coming soon?

 

[e-coli]

Great! If Apple could add bike lanes and cycling directions, that would be a welcomed addition.

EDIT: This feature shouldn't be so hard to get to. It should be included as a GUI button.

 

[DailySlow]

One icon only at center of the District this minute for Capital Bikeshare...no pick-up/drop-off spots. And there is one ¼ mile from the house (at our library) let alone the many dispersed throughout DC and Arlington.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Awesome addition.

 

[IGI2]

Wow! It's available in Poland, neat.

 

[actcyclist]

Kind of pointless. Apple Maps doesn't have cycling directions where I am.

 

[Fzang]

Aaaaand Google Maps also has this.

More of a pride project than anything at this point.

 

[Archmage]

Hmmm, no Detroit or Ann Arbor…

 

[CarlJ]

It's an odd juxtaposition: Apple's adding data for fixed stations for renting bikes, while here in San Diego, in the past few weeks, we've seen a huge influx of "dockless" bike sharing (rental), where bikes are to be found waiting on many street corners - use an app to (rent and) unlock the bike and ride it wherever, leave it on most any other street corner. We've also had "docked" bike sharing here for several years, where you rent bikes from (and return them to) special racks (and the city went to a lot of work to convert some sets of parking spaces to house these racks). Early indications are that the dockless bike sharing is quite popular, which doesn't bode well for company providing the docked bikes (I can only think of a handful of times I've seen people on the rental bikes over the past few years, while I've seen lots of people in the past few weeks on the dockless bikes; though no doubt some of this is just from the novelty of it - there are clearly at least 3 companies competing for first-to-market advantage/mindshare, between Ofo, LimeBike, and Mobike).

I know the situation isn't the same everywhere (this is a big enough city to support substantial "bike sharing", and the local govt just recently changed a rule that is now allowing the dockless bikes), but this announcement for Apple Maps showing bike sharing/rental stations sounds a little bit like, "Good news! We now show where you can rent videotapes!"

 

[FightTheFuture]

Aaaaand Google Maps also has this.

More of a pride project than anything at this point.

Google Maps can't seem to separate between bike sharing stations and bike shops in my area.

 

[d-klumpp]

Reply to CarlJ about SD bikeshare:

I have three of my own bikes but nonetheless occasionally find it convenient to use a bike from our Divvy bikeshare program in Chicago. Those dockless bikes are often from Chinese companies with unknown data practices, so I'd rather walk further to support a known system in DC or Boston or Chicago than provide my app-collected data to a company tempting me with a pretty pink/green/yellow/orange bike. Besides, our Divvy bikes are so robust that you barely feel potholes -- and that's our current season in Chicago!

 

[dc-mjd]

By only showing what MAPs considers the closest, this is not really helpful. There are others that are almost as close and without knowing the location for drop off its of no help.

 

[ignatius345]

Aaaaand Google Maps also has this.

More of a pride project than anything at this point.

I personally like having a map that's 1) deeply integrated into iOS and 2) isn't selling my movements to Google.

 

[Reason077]

Nice. These bike sharing systems all have their own apps, of course, which have more features. But this is great for discovering if bike sharing is available near you in an unfamiliar city.

Now we just need car charging points with live status/availability!