Google Maps

Google Maps gets new public transit features, ‘Live View’ to expand this year

Ben Schoon | Feb 6 2020 - 6:18 am PT

Google Maps is celebrating its 15th birthday this week, and in addition to a revamped logo and app, new features are coming, too. In the coming months, Google Maps will add new public transit features and upgrade its “Live View” AR tool.

Detailed in a post on the Keyword, Google explains a handful of new features coming to Maps this year, all dedicated to public transit. If you’ll recall last year, Google introduced a feature for bus/subway riders to identify how crowded those modes of transportation might be.

Now, Google is expanding that offering. Using data collected from other riders, Maps will be able to show several new details about those rides. For example, the temperature will be displayed on the “warmer side or the cooler side,” and how security is handled onboard — the presence of cameras, a guard, etc.

Further, Google will be able to show accessibility of public transit for those who require additional support as well as if a transit system has a designated Women’s Section, as some regions have. In Japan, Google will also introduce a filter for the number of carriages to increase the chance of getting a seat.

To collect the needed data for these features, Google will have very brief surveys pop up in Maps alongside travel routes, as you can see above. Google says this feature will start rolling out in March and will vary by location or transit.

Maps will also add on to its “Live View” AR feature starting later this year. This feature makes it easier to get around by identifying nearby objects, and soon, it will also be able to show how far your destination is along with some redesigned markers.