The Google Mobile Blog announced that the Blackberry version of Google Maps has added bike directions, sharing features and new search features. The new version is Google Maps 4.2 for BlackBerry and is available today at m.google.com/maps.

To get biking direction, go to the new Google Maps app and click on travel by bicycle. Then Google will route you based on the best possible route for biking. Google also said there is a bicycling layer on the map which shows dedicated bike-only trails (dark green), roads with bike lanes (light green), or roads that are good for biking but lack a dedicated lane (dashed green).

The search results were redesigned, and include pictures and ratings now. You can then click on “share this place” to share the results with your friends.

This release comes days after the news about a woman being hit by a car after using her Blackberry for walking directions.

Related Topics: Google: Maps & Local

About The Author: Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry's personal blog is named Cartoon Barry and he can be followed on Twitter here. For more background information on Barry, see his full bio over here. See more articles by Barry Schwartz