Google Maps Adds Metro Stops and Building Outlines, Gets Location and Geometry of Pentagon Wrong
This was supposed to be the post where I excitedly announce that Google Maps has added Metro stops and building outlines for DC. I was all prepared to find some nice, prominent spot in DC to show off the new feature, like maybe the White House and McPherson/Farragut Square area or something, but I entered the zip code wrong, putting in “20050” instead of “20500,” and got this:
If you look closely, Google Maps has a big balloon saying “PENTAGON” pointed squarely at The Ellipse. So yeah, close, but no cigar — I give Google Maps a C+ for Geography and a D- for Geometry.
(Hmmm, maybe this explains that guy who keeps editing the Wikipedia entry for The Pentagon to say that it’s shaped like a circle.)
Don, Check your Wikipedia link – its not working.
This is awesome! I always used to use Yahoo maps to see where the Metro was relative to where I wanted to go. Now I have no reason to ever, ever use their maps again.
at least you did not get a “calculation failed” message.
after-2-u-turns-by-topsectret-objects and so-used-to-human-&-otherwise-errors.
That’s really cool that it shows Metro stops, but I wish it put the little “M” logo on every entrance/exit rather than just one of them.
http://stationmasters.com/System_Map/system_map.html
The real fun lies with Google Earth. It’s slowly introducing passable rendering of buildings in 3D view. The Metro maps, replete with line colors that link stations, have been in there for some time. It’s well worth the download.
Eh, I prefer the DCist Google Maps interface. You get a color-coded view of the lines with clickable stations overlayed onto Google Maps.
http://dcist.com/map/
see http://enginepuller.com
Erm, Paulo != Don, Wayan.