Public transport navigation in Google Maps just got a much-needed overhaul

Google Maps walking and transit guidance has been pretty abysmal for years now. People like me, who don’t own a car and rely on their feet and public transport, have had to accept a subpar experience that doesn’t come anywhere near driving directions, with no easy way to check out Maps without leaving the ongoing trip. Now, Maps is rolling out an update that brings a big change to public transit navigation, and I noticed it yesterday on my phone as I was zooming through Paris to get to a theatre. Let me walk you through the changes.

Transit navigation no longer locks out the rest of Maps

My biggest pet peeve when using public transit directions on Google Maps is how inflexible this used to be. Start navigation, and there was no way to rethink or adjust routes mid-trip if there was an unexpected delay or incident, or if I had to change my destination last-minute. If I was underground with a poor GPS signal, I had to stop navigation, look for a new destination, manually input my starting point, and hope for the best.

Searching for restaurants near my destination was also impossible unless I stopped my trip. That messed up all bus and train timings, dismissed my real starting point, and often suggested a different route. It was beyond annoying, and I eventually resorted to using Google Maps Go as a separate instance of Maps to search for things along my commute or transit route. Now, that’s no longer necessary.

When starting a new trip on public transport, Google Maps now pops up a bottom bar with the ongoing trip details and the current step you’re on. This is a permanent bar that remains there, leaving the rest of Maps free and unshackled from the ongoing navigation.

One of the perks is dropping down the current directions to see a new Other trip options chip at the top (left screenshot below), which refreshes the search to the original destination but proposes all possible navigation methods again. So if you want to check whether walking the next few stops is faster than waiting for the next subway, you can do that. Or if you’d rather grab a bike, you can also double-check how long the route will take. All without leaving the current trip.

I also love this because it’ll allow me to seamlessly switch to the more powerful step-by-step walking mode when I’m out of the subway, instead of relying on the silly walking dots on a map that I get from Maps’ transit mode. I used to stop my trip when I was above ground, search for my destination again, and start walking. Now, I can do it faster with the Other trip options menu.

Plus, this allows you to switch destinations mid-trip without re-entering all details or messing up with train timetables. Just write the name or address of a different place, and Maps will show you options to re-route before you accept the change.

Better yet, you can go back to Maps and minimize the current transit directions, which gives you unfettered access to your lists, the full search, and lets you browse places, see ratings and details, and so on, all without canceling the current trip. Finally! I love this so much. I can now check out cafés, ATMs, or convenience stores near my destination, verify the opening times of the place I’m going to, browse the menu of the restaurant I’m heading to, and so on, all without stopping my trip and messing with my next train switch or bus stop.

It took a million years, but commuters and public transit riders are no longer treated like second-class citizens by Google Maps, and I can’t wait to start using this more frequently during my weekly Paris outings.

I’m not 100% sure if this is new or not, but Google Maps is telling me it is, and I don’t remember seeing it before: Walking directions now offer an option to report incidents along the way. Just like when driving, a pedestrian can now report crashes, slowdowns, constructions, and more. It’s a nice little extra, and it’s probably safer for pedestrians to do than for those operating a massive vehicle.

Both of these changes seem to be rolling out server-side, so if you don’t see them on your phone yet, be patient. They’ll probably show up in the next few days/weeks, Google permitting.