Posted On 28 Aug 2021

The global pandemic has changed the way many people move around cities, and there is a conflict between a desire to avoid the sort of crowds you find on public transport and the ever-increasing demand for reductions in car usage. Google Maps are attempting to help with this problem by adding new functionality to their app that helps predict areas of lower density for travelers.

The app now uses AI technology, historic data, and user contributions to predict the sizes of crowds on more than 10,000 transit networks across 100 nations. The technology can predict precisely how busy a particular line or train will be; in New York and Sydney there is given the capacity to tell users which cars will be the least crowded.

To use the new function, enter your destination in the search function in Google Maps and select “Directions”. You will then be able to choose your preferred means of transportation, e.g., bus or subway, and then select your route. When the route comes up, you will see a section titled “What’s it like on board?” which will tell you the crowd conditions. If crowds turn out worse than predicted, you can use the app to pass that information back to Google to help make the predictions more accurate for others.

As well as alerting users to crowd levels, the app will also let them know if masks or other anti-Covid measures are required, whether on-board security is present, in-car temperatures, and accessibility.