Google Maps to add more detailed maps, crowd indicators, better routing and more – TechCrunch

Google has announced a series of updates soon coming to Google Maps, as part of the company's larger goal of delivering over 100 A.I.-powered improvements to the platform by year-end. Among the new improvements, detailed during Google I/O's developer conference this week, are new routing updates, Live View enhancements, an expansion of detailed street maps, a new "area busyness" feature, and a more personalized Maps experience. The new routing updates will involve the use of machine learning and navigation information to help reduce "hard-braking moments" -- meaning, those times when traffic suddenly slows, and you have to slam on your brakes. Today, when you get your directions in Maps, Google calculates multiple route options based on a variety of factors, like how many lanes a road has or how direct the route is. With the update, it will add one more: which routes are least likely to cause a "hard-braking moment."