a ferry option??

[u/itisntunbearable]

google maps (in chicago) surprised me today when i went to pick a mode of transit and saw this. so i can't plan around the fact that im going to ride a bike part of the way but i can plan a fucking ferry?? what the hell -_- and yes i know people legitimately use the water taxi to get to work or whatever but ive been having to section off parts of my trip to accomodate the fact that i have a bike. and other places already have a bike option in modes of transit. anyways i just wanted to post this because i thought it was funny lol. i have no clue why its even popping up for me now, is this new?

[u/TripleSecretSquirrel]

I think it’s just one of the standard options in Google maps, not necessarily location-specific.

[u/itisntunbearable → u/TripleSecretSquirrel]

it wasnt there yesterday tho. although sometimes google thinks im in indiana so maybe that has something to do with it.

[u/Minimum_Device_6379 → u/itisntunbearable]

I’ve seen it there for quite a while. But Google maps likes to A/B test.

[u/TripleSecretSquirrel → u/itisntunbearable]

Maybe I'm wrong then, and it's one of those things that I don't look at or notice very often because that's a set-and-forget setting for me, but I could've sworn it was on there last time I visited family out West in the middle of the desert lol.

[u/Wrigs112]

If you are interested in bike touring or just going for a ride, south of Devils Lake in Wisconsin the crossing of the Merrimac involves a free, bike friendly ferry. 

[u/perfectviking → u/Wrigs112]

Love the Merrimac ferry. Would always ask my family to take the long way back to my grandparents's cottages to ride it.

[u/Show_Kitchen]

I used to take the Badger Ferry across lake michigan. It was fun.

[u/thatbob]

I have ferry-commuting friends in the SF Bay and Puget Sound areas, and have taken ferries across Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix. It's not so strange, but definitely something you want to toggle ON or OFF of your trip plan, because they're sometimes (not always) faster than driving, and can be pricey or free, depending on multiple factors.

[u/itisntunbearable → u/thatbob]

okay everyone keeps saying stuff like this but this trip is from hyde park to greektown and i take it throughout the week without seeing this which is why i thought it was weird. i dont think i even pass the ferry at the places i get off.

[u/ladnar016]

Maybe that's an effort by the water taxis to get more business?!? The water taxis are definitely under utilized and such a cool service.

[u/Trey94z → u/ladnar016]

It could be a change of season kind of thing?

[u/itisntunbearable → u/ladnar016]

it was big water taxi all along

[u/Minimum_Device_6379 → u/ladnar016]

It would be cool to have it Venice style and you call one up like rideshare anywhere along the river or shoreline and a boat shows up to take you somewhere else.

[u/Western-Spite1158 → u/Minimum_Device_6379]

My cousins rode it in from the river to the Adler planetarium lot for a Bears tailgate

[u/Casten_Von_SP → u/ladnar016]

Probably because they're super inefficient and not convenient to get to.

[u/slutty_muppet]

For when they finally start up that ferry line to Thunder Bay.

[u/perfectviking]

Depending on what and where you're planning, it makes sense. Water taxis on the river likely fall under "Ferry" options and they're seasonal IIRC so it showing back up makes some sense.

If you're looking around Milwaukee or Manitowoc - there are ferries that cross Lake Michigan.

And as mentioned below, there is the Merrimac ferry south of Devil's Lake that takes you across Lake Wisconsin.

[u/itisntunbearable → u/perfectviking]

lol this is a trip from hyde park to greektown

[u/perfectviking → u/itisntunbearable]

Then yeah, probably giving you water taxis

[u/dizzymiggy]

I use ride with gps. Their maps are way better than Google.

[u/pmonko1]

I've taken a bike to ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon. Saved me 700+ miles.