Google Maps update adds toll roads and traffic lights

Sick of toll booths? Google Maps has your back.

In a blog poston Tuesday, Google announced a handful of small new features that could actually make a nice difference for those who use Maps for their driving commutes. First, Google will roll out tollbooth tracking for navigation in the U.S., Japan, India, and Indonesia this month. When you want to go somewhere, toll roads will be flagged and you’ll get an estimate of how much the toll will cost. Of course, you can also go into the app settings and tell Google Maps to never suggest toll roads again, if you’d rather avoid them.

Tolls! Credit: Google

The other big addition is the presence of traffic lights and stop signs in the Google Maps app. That feature’s pretty self-explanatory and will roll out to “select countries in the coming weeks,” but Google didn’t get more specific than that. 

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Stop signs in Google Maps. Credit: Google

Toll roads and traffic lights (sounds like a good name for an indie album) are coming to both iOS and Android, but there are also a couple of small bonuses for iOS users, once again, arriving “in the coming weeks.” You’ll be able to add a Google Maps widget to your iPhone’s home screen as well as navigate directly from an Apple Watchinstead of going through an iPhone first. Not revolutionary, but handy nonetheless.

Being able to avoid toll roads will be nice. Unfortunately, Google Maps can’t make gas cheaper.