Google Maps adds live traffic and crowd predictions for public transport

Google has announced two small yet significant updates to its Maps app, designed to make travelling by public transport less stressful and sweaty.

From today (27 June), Google Maps will show live traffic delays for buses in 200 cities worldwide and reveal just how busy the bus, train or tube you’re planning to get is.

And to mark this launch, the tech giant has revealed which bus and tube routes suffer the most from delays and crowds across the globe.

In London, for example, the 904 and 11C bus routes have an average delay of 8.6 minutes and 8.3 minutes respectively. The most crowded tube lines include the Jubilee, Central and Waterloo & City and the busiest stations are Canada Water, Stratford Station, Waterloo and Bank. With the latter information, it could be worth walking to a station either side to avoid the crush.

The longest bus delays are felt in Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires where bus routes 204 and 53C in each city are delayed more than 19 minutes on average.

In a blog post announcing the Google Maps update, the firm explains: “When you have an important meeting, a date with a friend, or a doctor’s appointment, often the first thing you’ll do is check the transit schedule to make sure you can make it on time. Unfortunately, transit schedules don’t always reflect real-time traffic conditions that impact your ride.”

To remedy this, Google Maps will now show live traffic delays using data provided by app users. In certain regions, including London, Google Maps already provides this information yet this update will roll the feature out more widely. You’ll also see exactly where the delays are on the map so you know what to expect before you even hop on your bus.

Elsewhere, Google is adding so-called “transit crowdedness predictions” that will reveal just how rammed your bus, train or tube is likely to be before you board. These predictions again use data provided by Google Maps users from past journeys to anticipate future crowding. This can let you know if it’s worth trying to squeeze on or wait for a later ride.

These features will begin rolling out over the coming weeks on Google Maps on Android and iOS from 27 June. To see the changes, you’ll need to update the app.