Google Maps for Android and iPhone gets Lime integration

The days of simply walking, taking the bus, or hailing a taxi to get around a city is quickly becoming unfashionable. Instead, small electric vehicles -- such as scooters and bicycles -- are being used to go from place to place. While some people own their own e-bikes or e-scooters, many just rent them instead. Yes, rent. If you aren't familiar, there is a huge trend right now where popular cities are littered with e-scooters, pedal bicycles, and e-bikes from companies like Bird, Citi Bike, and Lime. When you tire of walking, you just hop on the vehicle and use it as needed-- for an affordable price.

Google Maps is a great service for getting directions for traditional means of transportation. Not only does it help with navigating by car, walking, or biking, but it can offer mass-transit assistance too. Today, however, Google Maps gains yet another new feature that will surely delight millennials -- integration with Lime on both Android and iOS.

"Today, we're teaming up with Lime to help you find a better way to travel these short distances. In 13 cities around the world, you'll now be able to see nearby Lime scooters, pedal bikes and e-bikes as a transportation option right from Google Maps. Simply navigate to your destination and tap on the transit icon to see your nearby options," says Vishal DuttaProduct Manager, Google Maps.

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Dutta further says, "If a Lime vehicle is available, you'll see how long it'll take to walk to the vehicle, an estimate of how much your ride could cost, and your total journey time and ETA. Tapping on the Lime card will take you right to the Lime app, where you can see the exact location of the vehicle and easily unlock it. If you don't have the Lime app installed, you'll be taken to the App or Play store."

Google shares the following cities where the feature will be available.

• Auckland
• Austin
• Baltimore
• Brisbane (AU)
• Dallas
• Indianapolis
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• Oakland
• San Antonio
• San Jose
• Scottsdale
• Seattle

Have you ever rented one of these small personal vehicles such as a Citi Bike or Lime scooter? If yes, did you like the experience? If you haven't tried them, why not? Please tell me in the comments below.

Photo Credit: VDB Photos/Shutterstock