Getting around without a car has just become easier. Google recently announced  that their Google Transit has graduated from the Beta testing period in their Labs and is now integrated with the main Google Maps site. Google Transit allows travelers to choose public transportation instead of driving and to receive customized directions.

 

Transit will plot the best course based on the time of departure. The directions feature walking directions to and from public transportation stations, cost of the trip (which is compared to the cost via car), and estimated total time of travel. Although only available in select cities thus far, this project shows the feasibility of going car-free in concrete terms.

 

Since its beginning, Google Maps has been at the forefront of online trip planning and global exploration. The map navigation tools, built-in overlaid displays of road and satellite maps, and live traffic conditions were cutting edge. Particularly appealing to me was the ability to avoid highways in route planning and the recently-added “customize your route” feature. Using these tools makes planning and sharing routes for non-car trips (particularly bike rides) a breeze.

 

Because of the great design of the Google Maps platform and the customizability it allows, some of the coolest features available to date have been independent hacks. You can track your walking or running route, check out the latest locations of crimes in Chicago, follow whale migrations, or plot craigslist housing classifieds.

 

Now with Google Transit, getting around unfamiliar cities or becoming more efficient in your own should be a whole lot easier.