Cycling enthusiasts across Canada will soon be able to turn to Google for help with their next urban bike expedition.
The online information giant announced Monday that it is introducing a Bike Directions feature to its popular Google Maps site, allowing users to highlight bike-friendly trails and roads in nine major Canadian cities.
The tool will be available in Ottawa and Gatineau, Que. later this week, the company said.
No other release dates were immediately available, but Google said the feature will also be available for maps of Waterloo, Ont., Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Kelowna, B.C.
Bike Directions, which has been available in the United States since March, uses colour coding to flag routes that are safe for cyclists.
A dark green line indicates a bike-only trail, while a light green line represents a dedicated bike lane along a road, Google said. Roads that are not designated biking areas but tend to be suitable for cycling are highlighted with a dotted green line, the company added.
Users also have the option of customizing routes to their preferences, such as finding short cuts or selecting routes that avoid hills.
Google relied on information provided by the cities to compile route data in some regions, the company said, adding it will implement a reporting tool that will allow users to suggest other bike routes for inclusion.
The Association of Commuter Transportation of Canada praised Google for creating a tool that will promote green travel in Canadian urban centres.
"Easy access to information is a powerful resource for supporting and encouraging the choice of sustainable travel options," association chairman Lorenzo Mele said in a statement.
"The introduction of Google Bike routing in Canada will put cycling at the forefront of people's thoughts as they search out the optimum way to get to their destination."
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