Google makes no qualms about wanting to be ever more green when it comes to their maps. The company has been building up the features shown off in Google Maps, and has been working hard on adding in green park spaces, water bodies, and even more detailed trails for cyclists. So far they've been using data from many different sources, including the USDA Forest Service's Forest Boundaries and the US Geological Survey's National Hydrography Dataset. Now, you can also provide input, making suggested changes and edits to the maps. More Trails and Directions for Cyclists
Not only has information about parks and water bodies expanded, making information about natural spaces a little more complete, but alsoGoogle's Lat Long blog reports that more cycling trails are being added, and soon cyclists will also get directions to the trails, making hoping on your bike to explore your area easier.
Considering we still don't have a "bike there" feature in Google Maps for getting directions from one place to another, the news is exciting - and you can help hurry it along with another feature added to Google Maps...
Make Your Own Additions and Edits
You can also be part of making Google Maps more thorough when it comes to walking and cycling directions, updating information about paths, parks, streets and more. The blog states, "...We've added a new tool to Google Maps that lets you communicate directly with Google about any updates that you think need to be made to our maps. You'll find this "Report a Problem" link on the bottom right of Google Maps... Was Main Street converted into a pedestrian-only walkway? Tell us! Once we've received your edit or suggestion we'll confirm it with other users, data sources, or imagery. We hope to resolve each edit within a month."
Google Maps is constantly improving with little things that make getting around in a green way quite a bit easier. It was over a year ago that they added the "walk there" directions feature, and in January they added a great public transit layer. This new editing feature, especially when it comes to adding in information making cities and green spaces easier to get to and navigate, is a big bonus.