Google Maps rolls out new bike-sharing feature in major cities worldwide

Dalvin Brown

Google Maps is really ramping things up.

After adding a feature in May that makes ordering food more efficient, and incorporating a tool in June that warns you about how crowded buses and trains are in advance, the navigation app owned by Google now wants to help you find two-wheeled ways to get around urban centers across the globe.

Following a year-long test run in New York City, travelers and commuters across 16 countries will be able to locate bike-sharing stations and see exactly how many bikes are available in real-time using Google Maps.

The added feature offers a bird’s eye view of bike-sharing stations in your area, and it's available on Android and iOS starting Wednesday.

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"Just like how we show you when buses and trains are coming and going in Google Maps, you’ll now know which bikeshare stations have a bike ready for you," Google said in a blog post.

The rollout, made possible by a partnership with the bike-sharing data company Ito World, will hit a total of 24 major cities including New Taipei City, Toronto, London, Los Angeles and Mexico City among others.

All these changes come after Apple announced major additions to its Google Maps competitor last month.

During Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, the iPhone maker revealed that the new version of Apple Maps will give you an option to save the addresses of places you frequent such as restaurants, your home or office. You can then organize your locations into categories like "Places to go with kids" and share them with others if you wish.

Apple Maps recently underwent an update that gave the interface a more detailed appearance, and the tech giant also added a binoculars "Look Around" tool that gives you a 3D, street-level look at the locations you're searching.

Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Google Maps has new tool for availability at bike-sharing stations