Overall I really like having the maps route creation feature. It is much easier to create routes than using Google maps, since it smoothly connects the dots over much longer distances, sticking to roads and paths. Much much quicker to create a route. But there are some glitches …
First, the distances are often long by as much as 5% … I don’t know how you are determining those distances, but they never match what I get on my run with my Garmin. Google maps is more accurate in that regard.
Second, some of the decisions when connecting the dots are wonky. This is especially true if the option to follow most popular is selected. And since that’s the default, that’s what you get unless you change it. The routes are almost useless in this mode.
Check out some of these route decisions:
What I expected is marked in green. And I’m sure that more people walk or run on the main road that it chose. But backtracking like that makes absolutely no sense. There should be some limit to how much longer a popular route can be to be chosen over a more direct route.
And then there was this:
For some reason it decided to backtrack a half block, cross the street, and then go back where it came from and then go to where I clicked. That is pointless.
So I tried choosing to follow the most direct route (which really should be the default). That generally works much better and almost always gives me the route I would expect. But then it did this:
Instead of just going straight, which is the most direct, it turns right, goes a block, turns again, and comes back to the actual most direct route. If I place that previous point not right at the intersection, it works as expected. So maybe there is a bug when it’s spot on an intersection.
So first, please make most direct the default. I can’t imagine most popular being useful. The heat maps can make those routes visible for those who want to do popular routes. And then please try to fix the most direct to actually be most direct, and if you insist on keeping the most popular option, it needs to have some parameter to keep it reasonable.
And try to get the distances right.
Again, I really like having this tool. It has been very useful to me to plan a new route. Still a work in progress, I’m sure. But it’s been a great help.
