Apple expands cycling directions to Midwest cities including Bloomington, Indianapolis

Getting around Bloomington has gotten even easier for some cyclists – Apple has begun expanding its biking directions feature to cities around the Midwest.

Apple, the country’s largest producer of smartphones, began rolling out cycling directions in 2020 for major cities such as New York and Los Angeles. The company has slowly increased the feature’s footprint and began expanding it to the Midwest in April.

Now, cyclists in Indiana can search a destination in their Apple devices and get bike-specific directions there. The service tells bikers how long it will take and allows users to avoid major roads or particularly hilly routes.

Mallory Rickbeil, the City of Bloomington’s bicycle and pedestrian safety coordinator, said she hoped the service will continue pushing cyclists to the city’s developing bike infrastructure.

“My guess is that the data will then be able to direct more people to these greenway facilities if they’re not aware of them already, so that seems promising,” Rickbeil said.

Apple Maps’ cycling directions went live in the northern part of the state in April, according to an Apple spokesperson. The service expanded south of Bloomington in May.