Kelowna area cyclists can now get bike route and pathway directions using Google Maps.

At the beginning of December, Kelowna joined Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg , Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa and Gatineau as the first cities in Canada to have the Google Maps “bike directions” application available to them.

“This is an amazing tool that helps to reinforce the City’s commitment to make active transportation a realistic option for people,” says Mike Kittmer, City of Kelowna Active Transportation Coordinator.

Bike Directions, which has been available in the United States since March, uses colour coding to flag safe routes for cyclists.

The directions feature provides step-by-step, bicycle-specific routing suggestions similar to the directions provided by the driving or walking modes of Google Maps.

You can now enter a start location and end destination into your computer or smart phone, and instantly obtain suggestions for recommended cycling routes. Recommended routes will include on and off-road bike lanes, streets designated as bike routes, and other roads that connect them.

The new cycling tool is in the introductory phase and the cities involved will be continually working with Google to improve the service.

To visit the new Google cycling route application for Kelowna, visit maps.google.ca/biking