In September we announced the Preview release of the new Routes API, an enhanced version of the Directions and Distance Matrix APIs that enables you to provide more informative and flexible routes for your users.
Starting today, Routes API is now generally available. Routes API builds on the foundational features of the Directions and Distance Matrix APIs that your business relies on, like comprehensive, up-to-date directions with real-time traffic, and calculating distances and ETAs for matrices of origin and destination combinations. But it also offers new advanced features so you can provide more informative, flexible routes and improved ETA accuracy, including:
2-wheel routes for motorized vehicles (coverage)
Tolls data for more accurate pricing on how much a route costs (coverage)
Real-time traffic information along each segment of a route
Specifying whether a waypoint is a pass-through location or a stopping point
Fine-tuned controls for reducing latency
Eco-friendly routing in Preview (wherever it’s available on Google Maps)
A representative mock up showing a 2-wheel motorized vehicle route with toll data
We build many customer implementations using route searches and distance and travel time calculations. The Routes API helps us better meet our customer’s requirements, with a simpler implementation. For example, the improved polyline capabilities now allow us to meet customers’ needs for higher resolution polylines at higher zoom levels, and the larger number of total returned elements in Compute Route Matrix expands the use cases for our customers. CEO, GOGA, Google Cloud Partner
Starting today, Routes API is now generally available. You can also still access the existing Directions API and Distance Matrix API, but you’ll get additional capabilities and enhanced performance with the new Compute Routes and Compute Route Matrix products available through Routes API.
To get started, check out the webpage, documentation and our migration guide. To give it a try and learn more, try our live demo.
For more information on Google Maps Platform, visit our website.
