Google Maps without Map Maker - you should redefine maps feedback queue

[JacekNK]

Hi Google LG and Maps Team,

I would like to send you a general feedback about improving Google Maps after closing Map Maker.

Current solution doesn't work. Reporting new roads to be drawn via feedback tool doesn't work properly.

I think you should redefine ASAP the way of working of feedback queue or give maps the real editing tools to users, not "sending feedback to the moon" tool.

10 days ago 19 kilometres of high priority, limited-access road (express road S5) in Poland was opened.

(May 4, 2017 http://www.znin-gniezno.drogas5.pl/przekazanie-do-uzytkowania-odcinka-drogi-s5-znin-gniezno/)

This new road is very important for improving traffic around first capitol city of Poland - Gniezno on the main road corridor between South-West and North and North-West Poland - very important for Central Poland.

How it looks in Google Maps and in competitive solutions you can see below and compare it by your own.

In ALL competitive maps, the new road was fully navigable after only a few hours after opening but only on Google Maps is still not drawn after 10 days!

This new road was reported many times via feedback tool by many users.

When Map Maker was alive, we - mappers were able to open such roads in a time of opening or within an hour or a few after that.

I think you must remember, that once you lose your trust in the maps, it's hard to believe once again, you rather choose the competitive solution for a long time.

For a current and next year there are plans for opening in Poland almost thousand kilometres of high priority roads, in 5 years - almost 4 thousands km.

There are also planned hundreds kilometres of new regional and local roads every year.

With such working Maps, with such "changing and correcting" workflow in two-three years, you will lose many of your Polish market users.

Thank you Piotr for screenshots - taken in the next day after opening (https://plus.google.com/117942557625971214429/posts/X7NvBf1ocXw)

Regards,

Jacek

Next day after opening:

 5th of May 2017 Targeo

 5th of May 2017 - comparison

 After 10 days on Google Maps:

 13th of May, 2017 on Google Maps

[AnuradhaP]

@JacekNK This is a very valid point. Sometimes this maps feedback takes months. As @JacekNK said it would be better to have a mechanism to add this kind of features(Expressways and roads) with high priority. In the street I am living, one bridge is closed for few months and as soon as I got the feedback option on Google Maps, I reported it few times and still map is not updated. 

[EugeneKostylev]

Same issue with a temporary closed roads. Using a Map Maker we could fix routing instantly, but with a Google Maps it's better not to report anything to avoid a bad data appears in a months and need to be fixed again.

https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/Feedback-and-Feature-Requests/Temporarily-closed-roads/m-p/258...

[LovelyPL]

"Reporting" (not "editing" regardless of naming this option by marketing team) is the best way to outdating Google Maps. Whu? Because queue is too long to report (not edit!) temporary closure of roads, opening brand new road (how to explain by reporting, which way is the new trace of road?)

For example in my town important, 'state' road will be closed for 4-5 month in next week. I don't report this closure. Why? Because my report will be reviewed maybe in 2-3 months and road will be still open. After this short time, team close this road.

But when road will be open after rebuilding, I report opening and we'll be wating for opening next 2-3 months? Is it a future of Google Maps? 

We don't know plans of Google about Maps. Maybe Google surprise us, but in this moment trust to navigation is decreased day by day. If users change their navigation app to another, it will be hard to persuade them to return.

Most of LGs are focused on POIs, but POI without road leading to it, is worthless. Think about it. 

[Amiran]

That's good notification. Same in Iran and other locations allover the world. I think at this step Google should release a simple road mapping tool (at least for top level LGs) instead of waiting months and release a complete tool.

[GusMoreira]

Hi @JacekNK and all!

First of all, thank a lot for giving us the feedback and flagging this issue with us.  As you guys know, we take feedback really seriously and are constantly trying to improve our processes to make it better, faster and safer for everyone.

Google Maps is a ever growing product and with the graduation of Map Maker we gathering the amazing learning we got from MM and expanding it to Google Maps, but with all graduation it can takes some time. All of features that was once only available on Map Maker, that means 52 countries, are now available to more than 200 countries/regions around the world. This may seems a small things for those who were once used to the old Map Maker but it's a significant change for those who could never even map their country at all! This also means more people and more reports coming in that we need to triage and add/fix/edit.

Besides that, we've been working hard on the moderation system that to make it faster and still prevent spammers from abusing the map and I'm sure you've all been seeing the improvements when you add place through Google Maps now. Road data is indeed very important to us and we are working on a bunch of new things for the future.

Regarding the S5 Express Road, we are already looking into it and our team will add it soon

[Amiran]

Hi @GusMoreira Thanks for your attention. Yes, we can see changes step by step and this make us happy in a smooth way, But also creating roads is very important and we're hungry for that 😄

As you mentioned I think at this step it is most important to focus on preventing from spammers and better tools to ban them. We're (previous MM old users) all with Google and will help to pass completion process better. Rely on us 😉

[Felicity_Perth]

@GusMoreira - I'm not clear from your reply: could you clarify - is the Google plan then not to allow users to draw in roads/paths/cycle routes, that only Google controls that going forward?  Or is that Google is considering adding in to Maps the Mapmaker functionality that used to let users do that and just hasn't gotten to doing that yet?  

[sputnikjim]

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@Felicity_Perth wrote:

@GusMoreira - I'm not clear from your reply: could you clarify - is the Google plan then not to allow users to draw in roads/paths/cycle routes, that only Google controls that going forward?  Or is that Google is considering adding in to Maps the Mapmaker functionality that used to let users do that and just hasn't gotten to doing that yet?  

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@Felicity_Perth, no, he did not that users would be allowed to add/edit roads/trails/paths directly.  He said they are improving Google's moderation process to reduce delays and backlog and he noted that Google is working on some other "new things".

[EugeneKostylev]

"All of features that was once only available on Map Maker...are now available to more than 200 countries/regions around the world."

@GusMoreira WRONG. Google just shutted down most important features that helps us to keep a relevant data and fix an issues on Google Maps.

Some of my reports just lost somewhere, while tons of users revile Google Maps every time they got a wrong directions.

https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/Feedback-and-Feature-Requests/Turn-restrictions/m-p/245453#M11...