Secret highways marked on Google Maps

[vdeane]

Well, the data is less accurate, but it looks like Google is FINALLY taking responsibility for the errors in map data.  And street view is in Canada too!  If Google is sincere about fixing the errors, they may be my primary online map tool again.

[CL]

Sorry, but Google went back to data dating back a few years, at least in the Salt Lake City metro. US-89 in Kaysville isn't shown as a freeway (it was before the update); Legacy Pkwy doesn't exist (it did before the update as well); SR-71 is cosigned with SR-7, SR-700 and SR-735 (which is just bizarre). Not sure what exactly they're doing...

[vdeane]

Check out exit 200 on NY 104!
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=43.191207,-77.619524&spn=0.009465,0.022638&z=16

[Ian]

For hidden designations I have found...

-The Falmouth Spur in Maine is I-495
-Old US 322 at the Commodore Barry is marked NJ 324
-I-595 in Maryland is even signed!

Exit 9 or 19?
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=43.324928,-70.604925&spn=0.015048,0.038409&t=h&z=15

[WillWeaverRVA]

I-695 in DC is correctly marked now. It had previously been labeled as part of I-395. However, the Center Leg Freeway segment of I-395 is not shown as a freeway anymore for some reason.

A lot of secondary routes in Virginia are no longer labeled with "shields", but are labeled "Co Road (number)" or "State Route (number)". Some of these are wrong (SR 2000 in Prince William County is labeled as SR 642). A number of former SRs inside Marine Corps Base Quantico are labeled this way, too, even though they haven't been SRs for decades.

[SSOWorld]

I just basically lost all confidence in Google Maps.  They simply reverted to a old set of data since they stopped using TeleAtlas (obvious move since TeleAtlas owned its data IMO).  What a waste.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Indeed. Just to give an idea of how old some of this data is, the map refers to the Science Museum of Virginia as Broad Street Station, which it hasn't been since 1975!

VA 399 (the access road into the museum) is also not Davis Avenue, and used to be labeled as VA 399 before the "update".

Nuckols Road and Shady Grove Road in Henrico County are also SR 695 and SR 624, respectively...even though those have never existed as Henrico County does not have SR's (except that SR 695 was erroneously signed for a while in the late 90's to 2002 or so).

I could go on and on...

[vdeane]

Depends on the area.  Some areas are ancient, others are brand new.  As street view expands it will probably get better (as the new areas seem to have coverage from around the same time they got street viewed, like US 15 in Lawrenceville).

[deathtopumpkins]

Not necessarily... I've found a lot of areas that have streetview coverage that have horrendous errors on the map. Can't they just look at streetview and see the shields themselves?

[roadfro]

I didn't realize Google switched their map data sources.  Interestingly, in some of my spot checks the maps have improved where others have degraded. 

In looking around areas of Nevada, I've found that many misplaced, old, or otherwise incorrect state/US highway icons on the map have been removed--although in many cases, these now show up as the street name instead of the route shield.  However, there have been newer roads in urban areas that are now incorrect or removed. Also, Google seems to have lost some street name changes in the Vegas area--particularly Lake Mead Pkwy (changed from Lake Mead Drive in the early 2000s) and Dean Martin Drive (changed from Industrial Road about four years ago).

I'm still waiting for Google Maps to add text or icons of bannered routes on its map images, particularly for Interstate business loops.  It is so odd to be looking at a map to see a regular blue and white Interstate shield placed on a city street or arterial that isn't I-180 in Cheyenne, WY...

[SSOWorld]

Not necessarily... I've found a lot of areas that have streetview coverage that have horrendous errors on the map. Can't they just look at streetview and see the shields themselves?

Take a look at WI-29 East at I-39's North Terminus, you'll find a contradiction to that.

[deathtopumpkins]

Not necessarily... I've found a lot of areas that have streetview coverage that have horrendous errors on the map. Can't they just look at streetview and see the shields themselves?

Take a look at WI-29 East at I-39's North Terminus, you'll find a contradiction to that.

I never said it held true everywhere. 

[Alex]

It was pointed out to us that unsigned Interstates 595 and 695 are now acknowledged on Google Maps!

[algorerhythms]

In the case of Google Maps using OpenStreetMap data, something that I've noticed is that even though Google Maps is using the data, they're not attributing the data to OpenStreetMap as required by their license. Of course, I doubt OSM will do anything about it (they don't have anywhere near the amount of money required to sue Google, and if they just asked nicely, Google would tell them to go to hell.)

[vdeane]

Are you sure they're using OpenStreetMap?  The data doesn't appear to match up.  OpenStreetMap actually has all of I-99 (Google does not).  On the other hand, Google does not have a hole in US 220 near I-80...

[algorerhythms]

Are you sure they're using OpenStreetMap?  The data doesn't appear to match up.  OpenStreetMap actually has all of I-99 (Google does not).  On the other hand, Google does not have a hole in US 220 near I-80...

They don't seem to be using it everywhere, but in the places I looked at in Norman, OK, all the errors in the street names match up.

[jjakucyk]

I suppose they're using different data sources for different locations, with good and bad results.  For at least a year or more, the Cincinnati maps have been terribly outdated.  They showed railroads that were torn up in the mid 70's as still being in place, mislabeled parks, and not-so-new subdivisions were missing.  In the most recent update from a few weeks ago, all the railroads are correct, it shows the bike trails that had been missing for years, and many roads out in the suburbs have been properly updated.  There's still mistakes, but no more than there were before.  I also rather like the addition of property lines to the closer-in views, where they're available.  I hope to see more of that in the future. 

[Michael]

Yeah, it's a hit-and-miss.  Some areas are great, and others haven't changed.  One thing I do like is the property lines shown in Map View.

Now, some comments on specific posts:

Yeah, Google Maps seems to have gotten updated recently. Although, still not completely "up to date". I-99 west of State College still isn't shown as complete, and there is some sloppiness to the drawing (get a load of this), although the new US-15 freeway by Lawrenceville is now on there. Strangely enough, the part by Painted Post has been downgraded from freeway orange to local street yellow... and the new interchange with I-86, that was there before, is now gone.

US 15 is covered good in the Lawrenceville Bypass.  I haven't been on US 15 since August 2008, so it's a fairly good virtual tour.  I like having the old interchange there for a comparison.  I do find it weird to downgrade the freeway that's been there since 1969.

Take a look at the State College area... Google actually went backwards in time with its data!

Maybe they'll go back to a time before I-99! 

I really like having hidden routes, old alignments, etc all signed.

Me too!  I like to see "Old ____ " or the hidden route number on the map!

Depends on the area.  Some areas are ancient, others are brand new.  As street view expands it will probably get better (as the new areas seem to have coverage from around the same time they got street viewed, like US 15 in Lawrenceville).

Exactly.  Speaking of US 15, I miss the old road.  I haven't been on the new road, but I've seen pictures and Street View of the new road, as noted above.

[NJRoadfan]

The routing for the directions is all screwed up now too. Instead of making a left turn onto the local highway (completely legal), it direct me through the intersection, making a right turn onto a dead end, and then back tracking to the intersection to make a right onto the highway.

I should run directions that use jughandles, it will really mess with their new system's logic.

[City]

I found I-46

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=790+N+4th+St,+Platteville,+Grant,+Wisconsin+53818&ll=43.673832,-92.984676&spn=0.054382,0.154324&z=13

No comment.

[D-Dey65]

While seeking the Google Maps street view of NY 112, I saw something much too far-fetched to the east along the westbound service road of the Long Island Expressway; It's a housing development with a single street marked New York State Route 495!!!!



Edited link

[Alex]

When did Google Maps add parcel lines?!

[froggie]

When did Google Maps add parcel lines?!

Around the same time they switched their map data source...or shortly before this thread started.

[njroadhorse]

Google Earth signs the Garden State Parkway as NJ 444.

[Ian]

Thats not right, the one with the I-341. It also has marked Pennsylvania as Tennessee!!!

Anyway, the southern end of I-787 is marked as its reference route, NY 912S:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=42.634038,-73.775833&spn=0.009945,0.022681&t=h&z=16