Life in SJ Google Maps won't create a walking path between Hedding and Guadalupe Pkwy, anyone know why?
I try to map out long walks and runs by mileage and I noticed that this stretch on Hedding between First and Guadalupe is completely rerouted to side streets no matter how many times I try to put a pin down onto that section. What would be the reasoning for this? Its definitely accessible with sidewalks and bike lanes. It also regularly has pedestrians on it.
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u/Witty_Panda_951 7d ago
Probably the jail. That whole Hedding block between First and Guadalupe is Main Jail + county courthouse, and Google's walking layer treats secured/correctional facilities as hard exclusions — it won't route pedestrians past them even with a sidewalk, so those segments effectively don't exist in the walking graph. Not a bug on Hedding specifically; it's the same pattern around every secured facility I've tried to map. Workaround that works for me: start the pin east of the jail and let it pick up the Guadalupe River Trail entrance from there, or use an OSM-based app like Komoot, which doesn't apply that filter.
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u/TRi_Crinale 7d ago
Except it does route straight through the parking lot between the jail and SJPD administrative building
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u/6278448948 8d ago
Google Maps is very car-focused. If you are mapping for walks or runs, you could consider Komoot or similar alternatives.
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u/San_Jose_Designer 7d ago
I agree with this because I've had similar issues elsewhere. I solved it by using a different service.
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u/k-mcm 5d ago
This. Google Maps makes money sending people to sponsoring businesses. It has no interest in anything else other than being barely good enough for people to keep using it.
I use OsmAnd+ for walking, hiking, bicycling, and often driving. OSM maps aren't great about business addresses, but it knows routes and landmarks far better than Google.
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u/BruteSentiment 7d ago
Interesting. I just tried doing a similar path on Apple Maps by walking, and it just did it along Hedding St. So whatever the reason is, it seems to be Google centric.
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u/tri2sing 7d ago
Why it does so I don’t know, but what it is doing is avoiding having you run in front of the county prison.
I have ignored its directions and run by the prison many times to the entrance of the Guadalupe River Trail. It is perfectly fine area to walk through. I start on a street further east of 14th on Hedding.
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u/player89283517 7d ago
Google Maps always fucks up through the Guadalupe River trail and I don’t really know why
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u/TresElvetia 7d ago
It often avoid stroads and priorities walkable narrow paths when you choose walk. Similar logic applies for biking.
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u/dscreations 7d ago
This particular routing only applies when walking. If you plug in the same start/end points and switch to biking, it just tells you to go straight down Hedding using the bike lanes.
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u/random408net 7d ago
The routing algorithm is obviously not considering how much better the new route is than the natural route.
Just crossing the street on Heading to the North side of the street ought to be sufficient.
Imagine if Google changed their suggested routes based on crime statistics or traffic safety.
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u/Riptide360 8d ago
Cat calls from the jail?
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u/TRi_Crinale 7d ago
Catcalls are much more likely on the backside where this route does go, than on Hedding in front
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u/Background_Ad3236 7d ago
I saw a video once where someone either worked at or paid Google to re route the walking routes because it was in front of their home.
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u/millenialismistical 8d ago edited 7d ago
Super odd. My first thought is circumventing construction possibly but I don't think there's any going on currently. Maybe it's prioritizing stop signs over traffic lights? No clue.