2011-03-02 06:08:29
11
Google street view now has bike trails
Today Google's street view added various local bike trails. They've got most of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail system, but no GAP or Montour yet. I guess the photos are a year or two old; many changes since then. Pretty neat!
2011-03-02 05:15:07
The Google Trike, a 700 lb beast with cameras on a mast, first came to Pittsburgh in October 2008. I helped pedal it on the Southside Trails for a bit.
It appears that the photos shot then weren't used in this data release, however. The dates on the photos that I noticed said 2010. Does anybody know if these photos were shot with the Google Trike?
2011-03-02 14:30:44
here's a shot i took of it when i saw it in the South Side
2011-03-02 16:06:18
that is so sweet.
Back in october i told google about some GAP issues (it's not a toll road, and two seperate trails are actualy touching). Just got emails that they fixed them, maybe as part of this.
Very good.
2011-03-02 16:38:19
even google knows maxxis makes the best tires.
2011-03-02 16:49:25
@cburch: they probably looked it up on the internet.
2011-03-02 16:56:18
So, I wonder if most of the 700lbs is the battery for the photo & GPS equipment?
2011-03-03 03:05:13
There's a generator in there, too. And a computer, of course. The red looks like a gas can. There are 9 cameras: 1 pointed up and 8 pointed horizontally in an octagon. The mast is a big chunk of metal. My guess is that they took the equipment designed for StreetView cars and bolted it onto an industrial-strength tricycle, rather than redesign it to be lighter weight.
Consequently, the tricycle typically moves at a mere 3 mph -- walking speed! The riders take two hour shifts. You can imagine that it gets tiring to pedal 700 lbs for long periods, particularly if there are hills involved.
But it's still a cool project. I look forward to the day when they have photographed the GAP and C&O this way.
2011-03-03 14:41:31
"I look forward to the day when they have photographed the GAP and C&O this way"
Yes! and at 3mph we can all watch the leaves change color 
2011-03-03 14:47:59
Interesting choice of brake technology.
2011-03-03 17:03:47