Google Maps will show COVID-19 travel alerts, crowdedness predictions

New transit alerts show you when your trip is likely to be affected by COVID-19 restrictions Safely avoid crowds on public transit

In our latest release of Google Maps on Android and iOS, were introducing features to help you easily find important information if you need to venture out, whether its by car or public transportation, says Google Maps Product Management Director Ramesh Nagarajan in a blog post announcing some new COVID-19 features for the navigation app.

Excerpt:

When you look up public transit directions for a trip that is likely to be affected by COVID-19 restrictions, well show relevant alerts from local transit agencies. These alerts can help you prepare accordingly if government mandates impact transit services or require you to wear a mask on public transportation. Transit alerts are rolling out in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, France, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom and the U.S. where we have information from local transit agencies, with more coming soon.

Were also introducing driving alerts to notify you about COVID-19 checkpoints and restrictions along your route, like when crossing national borders (starting first in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.). Youll see an alert on the directions screen and after starting navigation if your route is impacted by these restrictions.

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To ensure proper social distancing, commuters are paying attention to how crowded or comfortable their ride and transit station will be. Starting today, you can easily see the times when a transit station is historically more or less busy to plan your trip accordingly or you can look at live data showing how busy it is right now compared to its usual level of activity.