Family (Biking) Matters: Which Route App Should I Use?

Dear Family (Biking) Matters,

I’m getting more serious about biking around DC, but I’m overwhelmed trying to find safe routes as I move more trips to the bike. Are there any apps that can help?

— Lost In DC

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Dear Lost In DC,
I completely understand your dilemma! As someone who’s been biking around Capitol Hill and the greater DC area for years, there is no silver bullet. A mix of apps and personal knowledge and experience has served me well as I plot out new routes throughout the District and beyond.

The navigation apps I currently use

Google Maps: The Familiar Friend

Google Maps offers a bike infrastructure display through its bicycling layer, which works well for our area’s extensive bike lane network. The color-coded system is helpful: dark green shows both trails like the Anacostia Riverwalk and protected bike lanes, such as on Pennsylvania Avenue; regular green indicates regular bike lanes; dotted green lines mark bicycle-friendly roads.

The biggest advantage of Google Maps is familiarity with the interface and seamless integration with other phone activities. However, the app doesn’t necessarily prioritize safety. I’ve been routed through busy corridors like 17th Street NE which is a two-lane street with shared lane markings, or sharrows. This is not a route I would recommend, but since the street has sharrows, Google Maps assumes it’s as safe as a street with painted bike lanes or even protected bike lanes.

Transit: The Safety-Conscious Newcomer

In September 2024, Transit announced a pleasant surprise when they expanded their offerings to include bike routing, a particularly useful feature in DC given our excellent public transit and bikeshare options. What sets Transit App apart is their safety-first approach showing you what percentage of your ride includes protected bike paths, bike lanes and busy streets. This transparency is invaluable when planning routes around Capitol Hill’s mix of quiet residential streets and busy arterials.

Their multimodal trip planning feature excels if you combine cycling with public transportation. I often use it to plan trips that involve biking to Union Station, Eastern Market or Stadium Armory and taking Metro for the rest of my trip. Transit, however, is not good for exploring the map without a destination in mind.

Transit is free to use but does lock some premium features Transit Royale membership. 

Pointz: The Safety Specialist

Pointz is the app I recommend when safety is your top priority, especially given Capitol Hill’s varied terrain and access to multi-use trails. Given this focus on safety, routes are usually longer than both Google Maps and Transit. They rate roads on a bike-friendliness scale from bike-specific to dangerous/highway. The app also offers a safety slider: You can literally adjust how safe you want your route to be. There are also a number of  route options to avoid things like steep inclines and even avoiding pedestrian heavy multi-use paths; this is particularly useful around here for avoiding steep climbs up to the Capitol or busy MBT on a Saturday.

Their community features let users flag hazards and rate road segments, which is valuable for noting unexpected road conditions like limited access around the Capitol complex or road construction. Because Points has a smaller user base means this crowdsourced data has limited utility, but coverage in the DC area is generally good.

Pointz is free to use with some ads. Buying Pointz Plus removes the ads and comes with extra features such as battery estimator for E-Bikes and unlimited customized routes. 

My Recommendations

Choose Google Maps if you:

• Want familiar technology with seamless integration
• Frequently combine cycling with other activities
• Have a good knowledge of what streets to avoid and can tweak a given route

Choose Transit if you:

• Regularly combine cycling with Metro (great for longer DC trips)
• Want detailed route safety information upfront
• Live in the Capitol Hill/DC area where Transit has excellent coverage

Choose Pointz if you:

• Prioritize finding the safest possible routes
• Want maximum control over route preferences
• Value community-driven safety data

My Personal Approach

I use different apps for different situations around the area. For instance, I use Google Maps for quick trips to Eastern Market or along familiar routes. Pointz is for when I’m heading somewhere new or don’t mind the longer route that utilizes off street trails. Transit is unbeatable when I’m planning trips that combine biking with Metro.

My advice to you? Download a couple of these apps and test them on routes you know well. See which interface feels comfortable and which routing philosophy matches your cycling style. There’s no single “best” app—just the best app for your specific needs.

The most important thing is being thoughtful about route planning, which makes biking both safer and more enjoyable.

You can test out some of this advice by navigating your way to the Hill Family Biking Yards Park Ride on Saturday at 4pm. We’ll start at Watkins Elementary School and enjoy a 4 mile ride ending with FREE Ice Cream Jubilee.