Google today debuted a new feature to Google Maps. That feature would be the ability to find directions for for riding a bicycle. They have developed an algorithm to find biking routes between two locations. They even hope to increase the number of people who commute by bike.

Back in February 2008, a man named Peter Smith had started a petition for Google to have a bike route feature after a close encounter with a truck on an unsafe bike route. Today, that petition has over 50,000 signatures. Google emailed him specifically to tell him the news and to tell him that it was that petition that inspired Google to create this feature in Google Maps.

The new feature can be accessed at google.com/maps and clicking "biking directions" on the left.