Google Maps has a really useful feature that provides driving direction between two locations. The feature, through, is rendered essentially useless in Vancouver, BC by the route data. I don’t know what’s going on with Tele Altas, the provider of the map data. City of Vancouver classify roads into primary arteries, secondary arteries, collectors streets, and local small street. From what I can tell, the map shows all secondary arteries, collector streets, and random streets in the road network as local small streets.

East broadway, one of the busiest East-West street in Vancouver, is apparently shown connected by small street. I didn’t know small streets have 2 lanes + a dedicated HOV lane for bikes and buses in each direction.

And here we have a highway apparently being routed directly onto Oak Street, represented by a small street. Oak Street has 3 lanes in each direction.

Same problem in Richmond, BC. On the other hand, it’s easier to visually identify the major road.

Those of us who live locally knows about the road network better, but anyone attempting to use Google Map for local navigation will be driving longer than the necessary.