Here’s what Google suggest as driving directions for a 17 block trip on the same street here in Vancouver, BC. Instead of just going straight down the road for 5km (an 8 minute drive), Google suggests to take the scenic tour and go through the downtown core, through the park, over the bridge to the Trans-Canada highway, back over another bridge and to the same street again. A trip that, depending on the time of day, can vary from 30 mins to 2 hours.

Computer generated driving directions are great when you travel far (although there are exceptions), but not so great for smaller distances. It’s too highway focused.

UPDATE: I receive a lot of traffic (from Google) to this old post so here’s the latest. Google’s algorithm has improved and the issue has gone. But Google has a great sense of humour. See how Google suggests how you cross the Atlantic when traveling from Amsterdam to New York