Issue 14: Inaccurate and inconsistent changes to the Google Maps Cycling layer should be minimised
Summary: Google Maps Cycling layer is often edited in ways that make it less accurate, consistent and useful. A more effective process for reviewing, approving and tracking all edits is needed.In particular, the deletion of existing cycling trails, lanes or bicycle-friendly roads should be properly checked by multiple Google Map Maker editors who have access to accurate, local knowledge. It is a travesty that critical bike arterial routes - which often take many years to be delivered - can suddenly disappear from Google Maps.
For example, the 6.4km Sunshine Rail Trail was delivered in October 2015 and soon after added to Google Maps but, as of August 2016, has been completely deleted. Google wouldn't let a minor road, let alone a highway, be incorrectly deleted from its road map. And, if it somehow did, it certainly wouldn't refuse to fix it for months. Yet, this is what often happens to critical routes in city's cycling networks as Google publishes updates of its Cycling layer.
Details:
1. The current change process is clearly deficient as it results in changes like critical bike routes being deleted and no-one picks up these issues or corrects them
Below is Google Maps Cycling layer circa March 2014 when I published my blog post: Best cycling routes through Melbourne's CBD
And below is the current Cycling layer as of 11th Feb 2016 which is missing any indication that Swanston St between Flinders St and La Trobe St is a critical, recommended cycling route. It has been like this for months with no correction.
Absent direct experience, anyone trying to rely on Google Maps Cycling layer to figure out the recommended, safe way to cross Melbourne's city centre in a north-south direction would presume Swanston St is not a desirable route.
In my cycling video, it is evident that this is a safe, popular and convenient cycling route: IBHWGM YouTube Channel: Swanston St - from Flinders St to College Cres
- Motor vehicles are not allowed on this section of Swanston St
- The lane is for bicycles only as the signs indicate
- While not possible to be an official bike lane due to the shared space with tram stops, this route section could certainly be marked as a Bicycle friendly road.
2. Periodic refreshes of the Bicycling layer seem to result in widespread, erroneous deletions
With Google Map Maker crowdsourced editing suspended in most countries (including Australia) for well over a year now, the updates to Google Maps Cycling layer are now centralised, reported corrections can take months to be fixed, and many corrections are just ignored.
However, every so often, a widespread refresh of Cycling layer data is published. It appears that in this mass-update process, many incorrect deletions get applied - deletions that are obviously wrong and would never occur if assessed individually and properly. These incorrect updates often affect off-road Trails most of all - these Trails are often key bikeway arterials for those needing safe routes.
For example, the 6.4km Sunshine Rail Trail was delivered in October 2015 and soon after added to Google Maps but, as of August 2016, has been completely deleted!
The Sunshine Rail Trail is to cyclists what a highway is to motorists. It is a high-quality, off-road bike path that is very direct, lengthy and convenient. It also makes or breaks the possibility of cycling trips in this part of Melbourne - an area with few useful transport cycling routes compared to the city centre and inner north.
This is the equivalent of incorrectly deleting a highway for motorists or a train line for transit users - things that would never happen. Yet, not only does Google allow this to happen to its Cycling layer, but when these errors are reported it can take weeks or months to fix them.
Below you can see a video of the Sunshine Rail Trail from Sunshine Station to Cross St taken in February 2016. The integrated Google Cycling layer clearly shows that this route used to exist on Google Maps:
On my Melbourne Bike Grid Map, you can find most of Melbourne's major off-road bike routes marked up in the thick, dark blue lines. These were mapped using Google's Cycling layer originally (by adding Cycling Directions) and then converted to "Draw a line" routes using Google Earth to get around the max layer restriction on Google custom maps.
If you deselect the checkbox next to "Major Bike Trails and Off-road Routes" you will find that the Sunshine Rail Trail is far from the only major off-road Trail that has been incorrectly deleted. In the west of Melbourne, there are several major off-road Trails previously published on Google Maps Cycling layer which have been incorrectly removed:
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