Contribution frustrated in Mountain View, CA

[jasonh300]

Dave,

One thing you need to go back and check is the turn restrictions throughout this parking lot and the streets it connects to. I'm seeing a lot of red arrows. As long as those are there, the work you've done in the parking lot is mostly useless.

Allowed/Restricted Turns Wiki

[kentsmith9]

I also saw them in the parking lot. Most of them are because Dave actually set the traffic direction for the routes that are technically one direction. They all appear to be accurate inside the parking lot. I did not check all of them outside the parking lot.

[DaveHolzmann]

I don't think anyone from Waze ever said not to map POI's. It was the Waze community's recommendation not to map POI's in the Waze map if your country has good POI data via the other search options in the client (Google, Bing, FourSquare, Yelp, etc.)

Here is why POI's should generally not be mapped in the Waze Map Editor:

* There is no ability to add POI details that show in the client with a search - phone number, address, etc.
* Since there is no ability to add these details it makes it difficult to determine which location you want to go to for common searches. Eg. if you search for McDonalds is it helpful to see the street address in the search results to help you determine which location you want to go to. Also very helpful to click on the phone number if you want to call to see if the POI is open, etc. The external providers POI data contains these details.
* If some editors are mapping some POI's, these POI's will show up in the default Waze search results even if they are hundreds or thousands of miles away. Eg, if someone adds a POI for McDonalds in Oregon and I am searching in San Diego my Waze client shows me the location in Oregon in the Waze results instead of showing one of the better options that shows relevant data.
* POI's that are added need to be maintained. Restaurants, stores, etc are always changing. If the POI is added and it changes, the data is wrong until someone finds and edits it. There are already great sources of this data that are being updated, why do we need yet another source of POI data?

THANK YOU! This was/is a very helpful description! It makes complete sense... at least to me.

[DaveHolzmann]

Dave, post back if you want a CM to lock the segments.

If they're right, and complete-enough, it would be great to have them locked. But, as a noob, I'm concerned it may not be quite right. I'm still learning... and probably will be for quite some time.

[DaveHolzmann]

Hey Dave, thanks for jumping into the editing world. We can use more editors in the west bay so keep it up.

My pleasure. I like learning new things. And I also enjoy being helpful. So contributing in this way is a double win for me.

I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of returning your changes and the others on the other side of El Camino (from the base map import) so we don't confuse new users.

Don't mind AT ALL!

I noticed some turn restrictions on the main parking lot out to Grant Rd that I have not seen when I was there last, so I corrected them. https://www.waze.com/editor/?zoom=8&lat ... s=70646117
If something has changed in that intersection not reflected on the latest map view please correct my error.

The restrictions near the entrance/exit were ones I intentionally "added" - because I've found MOST of the time, even though those turns are technically allowed, the drivers who try to make them create traffic jams, either by physically blocking others or by scaring other drivers who aren't expecting them to jump out in front of them as they're just getting into the lot or trying to catch the signal out of the lot. I suppose you could say, they're restrictions the I think SHOULD be there.

Keep up the great work.

Thanks again! I'll do my best to do at least good, if not great work.

[kentsmith9]

The restrictions near the entrance/exit were ones I intentionally "added" - because I've found MOST of the time, even though those turns are technically allowed, the drivers who try to make them create traffic jams, either by physically blocking others or by scaring other drivers who aren't expecting them to jump out in front of them as they're just getting into the lot or trying to catch the signal out of the lot. I suppose you could say, they're restrictions the I think SHOULD be there.

Ah. That would explain it. Technically Waze is only focused on what is a legal turn or not. There are rare instances where we set a turn restriction on a legal turn and that is generally around freeway off ramps to on ramps. This stops the routing engine from thinking that is a bypass route when the freeway is jammed.

We have discussed adding the ability to have a turn restriction that supports just what you described. Unfortunately if we left your turn restrictions in that intersection you would see Update Requests from drivers that say it was not allowed. You also get Automated Updates from the system that sees people turning there against your restricted turn.

[DaveHolzmann]

Thanks again, Kent, for your patient and helpful explanation.

[DaveHolzmann]

Another question/request related to this "rabbit trail" that's started here (Parking Lots in Mtn View)

I've added some "main" parking lot roads nearby, to help "capture" the traffic therein from being interpreted by Waze as being part of the regular Street traffic. But, as you can see from this permalink, I was unable to a) save my work in the NW lot if I connected it to El Camino Real (ECR) and b) connect anything to ECR for the two SE lots (due to ECR being locked at a higher level than me.)

https://www.waze.com/editor/?zoom=6&lat ... 2,70678020

Also related to Parking Lots and their entrances/egresses... These two (selected in the following permalink) are rather tricky ones. The Southern one is JUST an exit that allows Drivers to turn Right. The (slightly) Northern one is primarily an entrance but can also be used as an exit, again, with no turns to the South. The traffic out and in naturally "crosses", but I don't think it makes sense to "cross" the parking lot roads. With the road not split, is there a better geometry that I could have/should have used? Or should I have left those two completely out (negating some of the objective I mentioned above, of trying to "capture" the traffic.)

https://www.waze.com/editor/?zoom=8&lat ... 3,70678854

[DaveHolzmann]

Never mind... the same individual (whom I've never found here on the forums) seems to have deleted my work once again.

I guess I will need to re-do the parking lot outlines and then request a lock on them.

[DaveHolzmann]

OK, finished re-doing my work on one of the parking lots. Would one of you higher-level Wazers please lock it down? Thanks in advance!

https://www.waze.com/editor/?lon=-122.0 ... 2,70695726

EDITED well after the fact to add: There is another page to this thread. This HAS BEEN LOCKED. (No need for anyone else to feel stupid. )