Google Maps Gains Real-Time 'Crowdedness' Transit Data, Live Food Delivery Status, and More

[MacRumors]

Google Maps gained three new features today to help users stay safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, including an expansion of its live transit "crowdedness" status information.

Crowdedness data shows the real-time state of transit lines when users look up directions. The information is crowdsourced and relies on in-app feedback from users. Before today, Google Maps only showed the data for stations, but that has now been expanded to buses, trains, and subways.

Avoiding holiday crowds might have always been your thing, but this year, we’re making it especially easy for everyone. If you need to take transit, Google Maps can help you more easily social distance with live crowdedness information. On Android and iOS globally, you’ll start seeing how crowded your bus, train, or subway line is right now based on real-time feedback from Google Maps users around the world (wherever data is available).

In September, Google Maps rolled out a COVID-19 overlay that can show how cases are trending in areas so users can make informed decisions about traveling. The overlay showed the seven-day average of cases per 100,000 people and whether cases are rising and falling. From today, the overlay also shows the all-time number of confirmed cases and deaths, with links to local resources.

Finally, Google now shows the live status of takeout and delivery in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, Brazil and India when users book or order from Google Maps. As well as seeing expected wait times and delivery fees, users can reorder favorites right from within the app.

Google Maps can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Google Maps Gains Real-Time 'Crowdedness' Transit Data, Live Food Delivery Status, and More

 

[hawros]

Is this what you see as an American logged into google maps looking at London? 'The' Regents Park..?

 

[mazz0]

The information is crowdsourced and relies on in-app feedback from users

Huh, you'd think it could be done automatically (for opted-in users) based on regular pinging of other phones in bluetooth range. There must be enough Android phones in circulation to make that a pretty good guide to how busy your immediate area is.

 

[CarlJ]

Read the title and thought, “Yuck! Who is ordering live food?”

 

[mw360]

Read the title and thought, “Yuck! Who is ordering live food?”

Isn't that exactly why we're all in this mess?

 

[Cybbe]

Is this what you see as an American logged into google maps looking at London? 'The' Regents Park..?

Interesting. I see that same, and I live within walking distance of it. Then I checked the Royal Parks website, and it seems like both "The Regent's Park" and "The Green Park" are actually official names. It makes some sense grammatically, but I've never heard either described with "The".

London's Royal Parks

Find out about the eight Royal Parks in London.

www.royalparks.org.uk

Apple Maps has "The Regent's Park" as well.

 

[steve62388]

Interesting. I see that same, and I live within walking distance of it. Then I checked the Royal Parks website, and it seems like both "The Regent's Park" and "The Green Park" are actually official names. It makes some sense grammatically, but I've never heard either described with "The".

London's Royal Parks

Find out about the eight Royal Parks in London.

www.royalparks.org.uk

Apple Maps has "The Regent's Park" as well.

I learnt something new today.

 

[contacos]

Huh? I swear I have had the crowd on transit feature at least 2 years. It always asks me how full my bus, train etc was and shows me how full it is when I look up my next direction

 

[Unsupported]

Read the title and thought, “Yuck! Who is ordering live food?”

Oysters, Lobsters? ?

 

[GeoStructural]

Huh? I swear I have had the crowd on transit feature at least 2 years. It always asks me how full my bus, train etc was and shows me how full it is when I look up my next direction

Same here. Not since 2 years but for a good while. I guess we were Beta testers without knowing?

By the way, I love Google Maps, I still think it is king in the segment, but the more they add to it, the more convoluted it gets. I prefer when it was more intuitive and you didn't have to look twice for basic functionality. My usage interest is just navigation and exploration of new places.

 

[NightFox]

As it's mentioned, the Google Covid overlay is pretty useless, at least in the UK as it only breaks it down to a country level, so you get one figure for the whole of England etc

 

[JosephAW]

I’d love to see a map of all the food drivers on the road at one time. They have it on their end but not ours.

 

[TwoBytes]

anyone noticed with one of the recent updates that when you start a journey walking and need to zoom around the map, the navigation orientation adjusts in a really annoying way? it tries to orientate where as before you could move around freely. Difficult to explain unless you notice this

 

[deeddawg]

'tis the season...

Google sees you when you're sleeping​

Google knows when you're awake​

Google knows if you've been bad or good​

So be good for Google's sake!​

 

[ijordano]

Is this what you see as an American logged into google maps looking at London? 'The' Regents Park..?

It's what I see as a Londoner looking at London on google maps, because it's name is The Regent's Park