The other day I checked out Google Maps to chart out a new addition to my running course as I gradually increase my mileage. My goal is to eventually have a full marathon-length course relatively close to home that doesn't involve repetition. A subdivision near Devil's Millhopper looked appealing. I noticed on my map that a long, winding road went northward from NW 53rd Avenue and eventually would deposit me quite a distance away on NW 43rd Street. Then I could run back and reconnect with my original course.
In practice, through, as I rode by bicycle through this neighborhood, I discovered that the "long and winding road" was just a cartographic fantasy. My map had connections showing between neighborhoods that simply did not exist (the connections, that is); I encountered multiple dead ends. Finally, on my disappointed way back through this subdivision, I decided to investigate one of those "dead ends", only to discover that it led into a park that didn't allow motorized traffic but did allow bicyclists (and runners) through. And that path through the park did enable me to get onto 43rd Street anyway, albeit in a different location. Cool, but my Google Map just had a street featured there.
Don't get me wrong: I am very grateful and happy in general with my "maps" feature on Google. It really is quite amazing, actually. And the maps are usually pretty accurate, especially when trying to navigate down established major roads. But sometimes that accuracy breaks down in neighborhoods and can cause some consternation on the part of the frustrated traveller!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
All maps have errors, and that'll never change. The starting point for map data is city planning documents, and there are many "paper roads" — roads that are in the plan but were never built, roads that were planned to connect but were never connected, and so on.
ReplyDeleteGoogle Maps are actually better than most, in that regard, as they've fixed them, through user reports and their own investigations (people hired to drive around and check the maps). We notice the errors particularly because we've come to rely so much on Google Maps, and on their directions.
Just last weekend I ran across a failure in the directions, where it gave me a left turn that wound up having a "no left turn" sign. I reported it to them.
But paper maps are far worse, and have the extra disadvantage of not being readily updatable. I bet if you get a map book of your area, you'll find the same non-roads shown there.