Suggestions for ClassyGMap

[Shohreh]

Hello

I saw ClassyGMap mentioned in the thread: http://techforluddites.com/google-is-getting-rid-of-classic-maps-for-good/

Thanks for trying to build a successor of Google Maps Classic :-) It's actually beyond me why no one has yet built a no-brainer alternative for regular people (ie. not competitive cyclists like it's so often the case for US-based sites).

Some suggestions for ClassyGMap:

1. Make it an option to show/hide bike tracks/lanes: Where I live, they're useless anyway, and showing them makes the map harder to read
2. Provide Source/Destination fields right at in the home page, since people use the application to draw a route
3. Add autocompletion in the Source/Destination fields, so users can find an address with approximate spelling
4. Remember mode of transportation (Bicycling, etc.), so users don't have to select it every time
5. Let user save Home/Work addresses
6. Export route to KML and GPX, ready to be copied into smartphone
7. Make it possible to share a route by sending the URL
8. Make the left menu collapsible, to save screen real-estate
9. Let user choose Google Maps or OSM as background maps. RideWithGPS does it, and it's very convenient
10. Make it possible for user to force routing through a given path: Even when selecting Bicycle mode, Google Maps won't let me go down stairs, for instance.

Cheers,

[barryhunter]

Most of these are good suggestions, and indeed already have dedicated requests created, but will add comments for a few...

1). Isnt this already there? The layers menu can turn on/off the cycle layer

6). This is on shaky legal ground. Its kinda against the terms of service. There are some workarounds/plugins to do it now, but they kinda skirt the issue, by being very specialist (and so stay under the radar)
... if a mainstream site (which alas this site might become) was to do it, it would be almost certainly be noticed and shutdown. It risks the whole farm.

10). Not sure how this could work technically, certainly for a third party site. Just dont have enough access to the underlying data, to pickout such routes.

The only thing that might work, is have some way to make a 'multi-modal' route. eg if the stairs where available for walking, could have a bicycle route, with a section of walking in the middle. (bit like transit can include bits of walking) - create a route, add some intermediate points, then change a section to walking route, to force so can use different options. (in fact could be useful to make a section transit, to use a train/bus etc as part of a cycle route :)

.... although I suppose once you have multi-modal, a section could be a 'streight line' (rather than any of the dedicated directions options), so could use a streight line to incorperate the stairs, with biking directions to the top and from the bottom etc.

[Sageylee]

Hi.. a small thing, but wondering if measuring distance is possible? Otherwise, thank you! Excellent map.