Zumo User Forums

Out on my bike on Saturday, and I use a Garmin Zumo 595. As I was going through a suburb of Glasgow with which I am completely unfamiliar, I used an online route planner, created a gpx file and uploaded it to my Garmin. So far so good.

On the trip, sitting at a red light, it tells me straight across, then my next turn is a left, into Mugdock Road. So I slavishly follow this despite thinking
that straight ahead looks.... strange. As I get to the strange looking bit, I discover why. I'm in the middle of a pedestrian precinct! Some looks of ire
and surprise from the people there, as I slowly slink past, eventually missing the left, which was from the middle of the pedestrian area and ending up on a very narrow footpath, which, after some difficulty negotiating, and some irate pedestrians, eventually got me back on the road.

Once home, I checked my original GPX file, and noted that at the aforementioned lights, the instruction should have been a right turn, then a left, avoiding the pedestrian area. Looking at the route in the Garmin, it had decided to recalculate the GPX when loaded, and completely omitted the dogleg that avoided the pedestrian area. The pedestrianised area is obviously not a recent creation, and as my (American) route planner knew to avoid it, it's a bit annoying that Garmin's map suppliers don't. Would be nice if the Garmin actually told you it had made changes to the GPX when it recalculates too....

Usually pedestrian-only areas are marked with signs and/or bollards at the entrances. GPS or not, we need to pay attention. Be glad you did not drive into a lake!

I've been able to correct several errors in my City Navigator maps (provided by Here) by reporting the problems at https://mapfeedback.here.com/#/report. It seems to be a bit faster than reporting the problem to Garmin, but it will still take a few months for changes to be reflected in a map update.

If you are in an area of tall-ish buildings or medium buildings clustered together, your Garmin may be totally wrong. Please DAMHIK this.

biz wrote: Mon Aug 18, 2025 10:52 am Would be nice if the Garmin actually told you it had made changes to the GPX when it recalculates too....

Indeed!!!

FWIW, I recently road half a block wrong way on a one way road because my XT told me to. The one-way signs were posted on both sides of the street but, like the experience of @biz, it was a straight ahead. There was no stop sign or traffic signal, just the one-way signs straight ahead and a left turn as the only option. Obviously my brain was not fully engaged at that moment.

rbentnail wrote: Tue Aug 19, 2025 10:12 am If you are in an area of tall-ish buildings or medium buildings clustered together, your Garmin may be totally wrong. Please DAMHIK this.

Not the case here! This was a pre-planned route by gpx. Garmin wasn't working the route out on the fly, it just didn't know that the area (several streets worth!) was a pedestrian precinct (and apparently has been for over 11 years.)

Peobody wrote: Tue Aug 19, 2025 1:34 pm

biz wrote: Mon Aug 18, 2025 10:52 am Would be nice if the Garmin actually told you it had made changes to the GPX when it recalculates too....

Obviously my brain was not fully engaged at that moment.

Ditto - it's easy to say we have to be watching for bollards and signs, but when my aged brain is trying to deal with the surprising surroundings I'm seeing, you're confused, stressed, and disorientated. I simply did not take in the bollards and signs till it was too late, and was then concerned only with - slowly - getting out of the area.