Have you faced the dilemma of entering a destination in Google Maps, only to see that it would take you 3 hours to take a train (compared to a 30 minutes drive)? As much as technology has advanced our ease of public transit and biking routes, there’s still gaps in between if you were to bike for 15 minutes TO a train station that eases our commute – and increases a few calories in the process.

We’re talking about an app where you can plan multimodal trips in Philadelphia in today’s Where Can I Wednesday.

GoPhillyGo: The Multimodal Trip-Planning App

GoPhillyGo is an online mapping tool where you can either figure out how to get from Point A to Point B, or discover nearby (often environmental and nature-themed sights) around Philadelphia. Search with a combination of walking or biking and public transit to find the fastest route to cool local destinations, making Philly more accessible without a car.

Are you an Indego user? The map has options for bike share locations, too.

GoPhillyGo is a collaborative project between Clean Air Council, Azavea and Warkulwiz Design Associates, funded by the William Penn Foundation. (Basically a green tech superforce alliance.)

Testing out GoPhillyGo: How it Works

I did a few sample searches between Google Maps and GoPhillyGo to contrast the two search engines. My previous employer (based out of Moorestown, NJ) was impossible to get to from public transit – Google Map used to tell me it was almost a 3 hour public transit commute with like 6 different buses. Now, Google maps cut the time down to 1 hr, 20 minutes. GoPhillyGo found me a plausible route in 52 minutes.

In the “Explore Nearby Locations” mode, I also discovered I can get to GPB fav Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in 50 minutes, compared to 40 minutes in car. Not saving a ton of time burning carbon emissions in exchange for getting some physical fitness in. Since Instagram has the Grounds for Sculpture on my summer radar, GoPhillyGo found my a route a little more than an hour. Def doable.

Don’t take my word simply for it – plan your trip on GoPhillyGo today.

Readers, have you used GoPhillyGo? Give us your tips in the comments.

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Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher