I think what would be great is if you could choose what level of cartographic detail you wanted to see, like with some map services that utilize basic GIS interfaces. A couple of examples are the USGS National Atlas page, where you can turn on and off the layers you want to see (http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/Natlasstart.asp) or Arlington County's interactive mapping browser (http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/EnvironmentalServices/cpe/maps/MappingCenterInteractive.aspx).

Google maps sort of does this by letting you turn on and off satellite imagery, but it would be great to take that a step further and let you turn on and off buildings, waterbodies, rail lines/stations, etc. etc.

what would really be cool is to combine traffic reports and conditions to provide near real time traffic condition and route you accordingly

Google Earth had all those features already and is way easier to navigate than Google Maps, which uses the same information. Now if they would only get a satellite of the DC area that's newer than 2002. Also, why can't they get a high quality satellite image of every state already. Virginia is one of the ones that is crappy quality still.

Re: Google Earth
I find myself using GEarth far more than GMaps, with the exception of actual point to point directions.

I have been able to find hotels, transit, and airports in international locations, which isn't so much featured in the Maps version.

Google Earth is also free, though you do have to download it.

Being carless, I would like to see major bicycle trails. I've spent way too much time going back and forth between google maps and the W&OD Trail map to plot a path for myself.

I've always thought you should have the option of excluding an intersection or street from driving directions. For example, google maps doesn't know rock creek parkway switches directions during rush hour, so if I want to get somewhere that would involve going the wrong way on rock creek, I'd like to be able to click on rock creek and say "avoid this."

Also, I think the icons for subway stations and such are at the street address of the station, but it would be much more useful to have the symbols at the locations of all that station's exits.

Walking directions! I travel to NYC for business a lot, and need to know how to get places on foot or subway. I use HopStop for this (http://www.hopstop.com/), which only covers 5 cities -- what if I'm in Seattle or Philadelphia? (I think somone else does directions on foot, but I don't know who.)

I'd also like bike directions, and the option of going the most direct route or the route that uses dedicated bike paths the most.

I wouldn't necessarily say Google Earth is "way easier to navigate". They are different applications that are each better at doing certain things - it depends what type of information you're looking for. I'd say most people using Google Maps are looking for directions, which Google Maps does more efficiently than Google Earth. I also prefer Google Maps for a quick reference of where something is, which will come back faster than I could even have Google Earth fired up.

I'd like to see gasoline prices. When someone fills up with gas, it would be really nice if someone's OnStar system could report the price/gallon that they paid.

Since I have a company computer, they don't allow me to load up programs I prefer to have, like Google Earth, I'm thankful all of GEarth info is available on Google maps. If your in Arizona or Wyoming, it's sometimes hard to get Directions...ever notice? Amazingly my trip from Omaha to Otoe got me there so I can't complain that much. If they can just update the Satellite photo for Santorini and Samos Greece as well as North East Pennsylvania, I'd be one happy user. Oh I do say a walking tour using Metro / Subway trains in NY or Washington DC would also be a great addition. As for driving directions, I would like to create a trip where I can include side trips. I don't always want to travel from Point A to B only. I'd like a side trip.

I wish they offered detailed (scale 1:24,000) U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Maps.

http://store.usgs.gov/scripts/wgate/zww200cea3709/~flN0YXRlPTE3MjIyLjAwMS4wMy4wNg==?~okcode=GSHP&~target=_top&~forcetarget=yes

Yahoo Maps is the only map that accurately shows where all the Metro stations are.

I generally find it annoying (on almost all map systems) that major cities disappear from view at certain zoom levels, and some random little place gets a prominent billing.

How about the locations of the WMD in Iraq? Someone at the WaPo Editorial Board should be able to show Google where they are.

It's nice that you can see rough Metro station locations now, but it would be better to see actual station entrance locations.

This is new to DC, but not to Google Maps as stated in the post. Madrid and Paris Metro stations, for example, have been available on Google Maps for months. The building outlines are a nice touch, though.

They do have transit/walking directions for a few cities, but not for DC yet: http://www.google.com/transit

Say Rob,
While we're on the subject, how about a column about how these services get their data? I'm perpetually frustrated by the fact that my street, built in 2000, still doesn't appear on any of these services -- our neighborhood was clearly surveyed (by land? air? space?) during the first phase of construction in 1999 or 2000, but has never been re-surveyed, despite 2,000 - 3,000 new homes, a massive streetbuilding project, huge new shopping centers, etc. (your basic 'mericun sprawl). In any event, my hispter big-city friends always get lost b/c they rely on these map services, but my townhouse appears to be several hundred acres of empty meadow, as the services suggest. (Save the commentary on relying too much on tech - I tell 'em over and over, "When the war comes, yer all S.O.L.!!" But they just think I'm a small-town kook.)

Ditto on the bike trails suggestion. It would be nice to have when I'm going for a ride.

I notice that Google Maps has the South Capitol station located halfway down D Street SE between 1st and 2nd, rather than halfway down 1st Street SE between C and D. I would assume that they were trying to ID the elevator, but even that is at the corner of D and 1st SE -- a good half block off.

I'd like to have Google Maps show me where Osama Bin Laden is. Even better, if they could show me where he'll be an hour from now.

If we could just get newer maps. These are way old.

Excellent responses--Achenbach-boodle-esque at times!

For the folks looking for bike routes: Try the Google Map-fueled Bikely. For D.C.-area info, have a look at Bike Washington.

- RP (38.904258, -77.034775)

Or this for bike routes

http://washcycle.typepad.com/map.html

I would like to be able to see open houses and garage sales.... plus time schedules for things like movies and church services.

In navigating maps, I find that recognizing landmarks is quite helpful. To that end, I'd like to be able to put my cursor over any spot on a Google map and have it tell me what I'm looking at (say, Tuffy Leeman's Glenmont Bowl in Wheaton, for example). That'd be great!

I have a neighbor who sunbathes in the nude. What are the chances to get that kind of detail?

I'd love to correct the naming of the street where I live.
Who does these updates on a local basis, who in turn forwards it to Google, MS and other mappers??

Google Maps does allow side trips. Put in the first two destinations, and after it shows the directions, click the "add destination" at the bottom of the directions.

Hey, if we're going to be ridiculous... I want the whole thing to be live streaming video! I can wave at myself!

This subject is suddenly reminding me of an old Stephen Wright joke: "I have a map of the United States, actual size. It says 'Scale: 1 mile = 1 mile.' I spent last summer folding it. People ask me where I live and I say, 'E6!'"

Let's add more and more features and pretty soon those of us that can only get dial up internet access will totally revert to paper maps.

second Yahoo! Maps. They've had Metro functionality in previous version as well.

Too bad the new version, although wonderful, is so bloated.

I think, Google's falling behind others.

The following would be nice with online maps as well as street map books: show signalised intersections--i.e. a red dot with a black outline at intersections that have traffic signals. With the online maps, you could even enhance the symbol to one that looks like a typical red-yellow-green dots on a black rectangular background, when you have zoomed in closely enough so that the symbol doesn't interfere with other content.

I am a free-lance cartographer and have done a number of shopping center and business district maps, which show where each business is located within building footprints, parking lots and entrances, plus traffic signals and pedestrian "walk" signal locations. Locations of where sidewalks exist on the busier streets, and all pathways are shown also. Some examples I have done: the Annandale, Virginia, business district; Lake Anne area of Reston; Belmar District and surrounding shopping areas, Lakewood, CO.

My site is at www.windsormapping.com

Thank you.

1:33 AM 2/15/2007
Earth, Google Earth, is da bomb. and those girls and guys doing it are some sort of thermo neucular event (just beginning). Maps left all else in the dust and Earth is mind boggling. Thier stuff is like the Ailen, born pregnant, acid blood, on the move. All of that is done while having fun. Just look at the logo illustrator. Back to Earth. Just the concept alone is at the least Tony Tiger GREAT but the integration of concepts like user (thats us) input like Wiki and travel photos and sights and geography and a spinning on any axis Globe and probably some of the suggestions We (thats us) have blogged. Personally, I am a charterboat Captain waiting to be able to use it to find whatever fish my customers want...and a reasonable amount (low in mercury).
As to geographic detail, see Big Brother for some 1980's stuff or... a pre 9/11 map.

CAPNz, that must be some good acid

There are already a lot of mashups out there that have some of the features talked about in this post. Go to mapshark.com, a Google custom search engine, to find some of them.

Okay, you want weird? Since I wrote my comment above.... Google Maps has updated my neighborhood. creeeepy!

Stationmasters has excellent maps for DC metro exits/entrances (for an individual station). Its maps are more accurate than Yahoo & Google (at least for the L'Enfant and Smithsonian stops). It shows the elevator and escalator exits. It even has an arrow showing which direction you will be facing when you exit the station via escalator. Go to http://www.stationmasters.com/ . Click on the Metrorail system map link and then click on a specific station.

Again on the bike directions.

Does anyone know a bike map direction generator for NYC?