Large discrepancy in results given by gmapsdistance versus googlemaps (Python)

[tle4336]

Hi Dr. Azuero and Dr. Zarruk,

Thank you for making such a nice and useful packages. I am currently noticing an issue on the different results (from what I have inspected, quite a number of origin-destination pairs were off by anywhere from 50%-100% shorter), between your package and the googlemaps package written in Python (https://github.com/googlemaps).
For example, with the same set of inputs:
origin = 303+Lexington+Ave+New+York+NY,
destinations = list("3+E+40th+St+New+York+NY", "136+W+42nd+St+New+York+NY", "49+W+32nd+St+New+York+NY"),

the results given by gmapsdistance() package with distance_mode=bicycling (no change in other default parameters) are actually half the distances given by inputting these addresses directly into Google Maps, as well as the results given by the googlemaps package in Python (same bicycling travel mode). In particular, the distances between the origin and 3 destinations above by gmapsdistance are 0.30633, 0.1036066, 0.46005, which are usually half or twice as much as the actual distance returned by googlemaps package or Google Maps.

Could you please help "fix" this issue with an updated version for your package, or shed some lights on why this could be the case? Furthermore, should I have more trust on the results from googlemaps package in Python, since it was developed by the Google Maps team?

Thank you very much for your help and time. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as you could.

[jlacko]

I am taking over this issue as jlacko#4 (which covers the same problem).

@rodazuero this ticket can be safely closed, it will be resolved on the fork / which is now the primary source for CRAN purposes.