Everyone who commutes during rush hour knows how stressful it can be, as well as how much time gets wasted. Google wants to give you back control of your journey, so Google Maps is getting a commute tab.
The majority of us still travel to work every day during rush hour when everyone else is also trying to get to work. This puts a huge amount of stress on the transport networks, but also on the individuals who are using them. Even the smallest problem can turn into a big delay, leading to more stress and your day (or evening) being ruined before it has even begun.
Google realizes this and is updating Google Maps to try and help. That help comes in the form of a new commute tab in the Maps app. Launch Google Maps on your phone, tap the commute tab, and you’ll be presented with live traffic and transit information for a given route.
If you’ve setup your commute route in Maps, it means you’ll be able to see any problems before setting off for work or heading home. You’ll then be able to either allow more time or choose an alternative route to avoid a delay. Maps will even present an alternative route for you and an estimate of the journey time if you use it. On Android, there’s even notifications as you travel to provide fresh information about new delays ahead as they happen.
If you take the bus or train to work, Google Maps covers 80 regions worldwide and is able to track individual buses and trains in real-time. That way you’ll only need to run when it’s really necessarily, and deciding if you’ve got time to stop somewhere for breakfast can be done with a lot more confidence and less planning because you can see exactly where your train/bus is on its route.
For drivers, Google Maps checks your route for traffic, but if sitting in it is unavoidable, Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play Music can now be accessed directly from Google Maps. If you have to sit and wait, you might as well do so listening to music without the distraction of having to load another app.
If you want to check out these new commuting features, keep checking your Android or iOS device for a Maps app update. Google is rolling out the update over the course of this week, which means everyone should have access to them within the next few days.
