BART website adds new trip plan functions, including bike directions, using Google Maps

The BART website (www.bart.gov) just went live with new trip planning functions, including bicycle directions and station area points of interest that use the Google Maps API.

In addition to walking and driving directions, you now can get bicycling directions between BART and any address using the BART QuickPlanner. You can also get more information about points of interest near BART stations, including directions, using the Neighborhood Map tab on any station page.

Say, for example, that you work at Peet's in Walnut Creek (1835 Ygnacio Valley Road) but you want to join the monthly East Bay Bike Party ride that leaves this Friday night at 8 p.m. from outside the Lake Merritt BART Station.

Just put your work address in the QuickPlanner, plug in Lake Merritt Station for your destination, and you can get a bike route to get to the closest BART station, see times for different trains you could take, a legend for whether bikes are allowed at that time (they are), and what time you’ll arrive.

If you click on Lake Merritt Neighborhood Map you could look for "coffee shop" and find out there is a Blue Bottle nearby Jack London Square (as if you need more coffee after your shift at Peet's.)

Find out more about bikes on BART or give us your feedback about this update to the website.

BART and Google Maps. The best. Double true!