Google Maps & Public Transit team up to help you go green.

With the exception of foot power, there’s probably nothing better you can do to save gas than to use public transportation.  For me, living in Chicago, access to good public transportation has never been a problem.  My biggest hurdle has always been synthesizing the “real” directions to my destination into sync with the dozens of schedules and system maps.

Screenshots are actual directions to get from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) to Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL).  In order: driving by car; public transit by bus; public transit by light rail.

“What stop should I get off at?, What train line runs the most frequently at this time of day? Where do I transfer to bus #XXX?, How long will it take me to walk to my destination from that stop?”

Eurkea!  All these and more are answered by Google Maps new integration with  public transportation schedules.  As of this writing Google has already processed the public transit systems in approximately 40 large cities across the globe, with additional cities being integrated at a rapid clip.

Important side note - at least for Chicagoans. . . I noticed that our inner-city light rail (the “El” if you’re from here) is covered, though the larger 6-county Metra rail system isn’t included yet.  It’s absence isn’t sorely missed, the Metra is more of a longish distance commuter option whereas the El is truly used for trips of all sorts and distances.

In researching this new functionality inside Google Maps I stumbled across another really cool website that can help you in your quest to go green.  WalkScore.com is a new site that assigns a numerical score to a neighborhood’s “walkability index.”  I tried it out and more or less it was right on the money.  Looking to go carless?  This is a great tool to use when evaluating potential neighborhods before you pick your new apartment randomly from Craigslist (ps - though it misses some listings, www.housingmaps.com is a great mashup that puts CL ads right on an actual map).