Google Unveils Walking Navigation Beta

In most of Texas, walking places isn't something that you can really do thanks to the long distances and spread out nature of most cities. There are some larger cities where walking is common and in other states like California and New York, walking is one of the most common ways for folks to get around in big cities. Google has announced a new beta offering that will help those that like to walk places find their way around.

The new service is sort of like a mash up of Google Maps Navigation and walking directions and it is available for users on Android using Google Maps for mobile 4.5. The navigation works like other GPS directions only it will route the person walking using the shortest distance between the points over pedestrian pathways, assuming Google knows the paths are there.

That means rather than routing you around the park it will route you through the park using sidewalks, which is pretty cool. The phone will vibrate when it is time for a turn and the voice guidance can be turned off. The map rotates as you change directions. The service is in beta right now and Google notes that the information may be out of date.