The second test went from home to the Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, a favorite weekend route of mine. The directions for this were exceedingly complicated with too many unnecessary turns. I can do this ride by essentially taking four streets; Google maps, meanwhile, recommended nearly ten times more. Enough said.
The third test was for a route my son might take to the local middle school. This one, like the first test, was not too bad, certainly as good as any alternatives I could come up with.
I guess my biggest complaint with the program is that it gives a one size fits all answer. The comfort level of one person may not be the same as the next person. A street that one person would not dream of riding on may be perfectly acceptable to another. Many people who use this program will not look beyond the arrow on the map, or the street by street directions, to realize that there may be a more direct route, or one on "safer" streets. That in a nutshell is the main problem with these type of direction guides / mapping aids, they do not encourage users to explore alternatives, rather than blindly follow directions.
Did familiarity with the area and routes give me an advantage. Undoubtedly, and that is my point; you cannot replicate experience and knowledge. Use Google map as a starting point if you must, but be willing to grow beyond it's limited offering.
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