Google Maps Update Opens New Access to Mobility and Culture

"Starting today we’re rolling out an update to Google Maps on Android that provides helpful everyday info––in real time––at the bottom of your home screen. Just swipe up and you’ll see three tabs that will help you find a nearby restaurant, beat traffic, or catch the next bus," according to a post by Mark Lowe, Google Maps product manager, on the Google blog.

More specifically, the tabs are called Places, Driving, and Transit. While the Places tabs provides new insight for people looking to explore the surrounding area, driving and transit will serve the more mundane moments of moving to and fro—especially during regular trips. Here's how Lowe describes the Transit tab:

With the transit tab, you’ll never have to sprint to the bus again. If you have your home and work addresses saved, you’ll see a recommendation for which bus or train to take, when the next one’s coming, and an ETA for when you’ll arrive at work or home. If you’re headed somewhere else, you can swipe down to find nearby transit stations along with real-time schedules.

In another recent Google Maps function update, Google introduced a new "parking difficulty icon" in Google Maps for Android that alerts users to parking crunches at their destination. That feature is available in 25 metropolitan areas in the United States.