Google Maps API - is the investment worth the risk?

It's ad-free for now, but that won't last.

[zomega42]

I'm adding a big "local" section to my site. The Google maps API would be perfect for this, and I think it would be a great way to organize a lot of the local information that I'm planning to offer.

The problem is, Google is sure to add advertisements to the maps some time soon. Since we have no way of knowing what the ads will be like, how much control we'll have over them, or how it will work, I don't know if it will be acceptable on our site.

So the question is, do you think it's worth it to design a local site around google maps? Are there alternatives, free or otherwise? Do you think we can trust Google enough to make the ads something we can live with?

Like many of G's services, I think we might all be better off if they just charged us for it so we could know what to expect and so they would have to answer to us.