Alas, the much anticipated, and in my opinion, long overdue “BikeThere” feature has been added to GoogleMaps, an official announcement is rumored to happen tomorrow at the opening of the US National Bike Summit in Washington D.C.

The BikeThere feature has gained many supporters, with one website leading the push, gathering over 50,000 signatures in an effort to convince Google to offer the service. A combination of high gas prices and an effort to become healthier is inspiring folks to use their cars less – and get onto their bikes or into their walking shoes. Now with Google instantly plotting the best route, the only thing left is to grab a water bottle and head out the door, leaving the car at home.

In the beginning, Google Directions were only for cars, and since then we have seen big improvements: Terrain View is one of my favorites, giving a topographic perspective of the land, Streetview which has been somewhat controversial and the source of some very entertaining photos, and also a Traffic Feature. Starting last year, Google offered Walking Directions, charting out the most pleasant route to get from point A to point B. And finally, we have Google bike directions.

Head on over to maps.google.com to test out the new feature: chart your bike route to work, saddle up, and leave your car keys at home!