Query: not using "next named street" in parking lots?

[crazycomputingdotnet]

With Waze going to or at least playing with the idea of showing multiple directions when they are close together I can see it playing out on screen as:
Turn left in x feet
Then turn right at x feet
Then turn right at Waze Ave

That kind of thing will be helpful especially in larger malls / shopping areas.

[PhantomSoul]

Parking lots are kind of difficult to navigate using GPS systems, since most of their collector roadways are unnamed. Further, because navigation is dependent on the location accuracy of a wide range of hardware devices with varying levels of accuracy that are beyond the programmer's control, IMHO any kind of turn instruction that based strictly on a distance of less than a tenth of a mile (about 500 ft) is irrelevant and more likely to confuse the driver than provide any kind of productive information. More often than not, the driver really has to navigate the parking lot visually based on what he/she sees across the parking lot, whether it is a specific store that is the destination, or finding these collector roadways within the parking to exit.

In my (limited) experience with Waze, I've found that the only real asset to mapping parking lots is either when a parking lot's exit isn't obvious from all places in the parking lot, as seen in the parking lot here, or if there is a very large parking lot with multiple exits to multiple different roads, Waze can guide you to the most optimal exit based on your route from the parking lot, as seen in the mall parking lot here.

Beyond that, however, parking lot routes have very little use, as once you turn off the public road into a parking lot, you have to visually find your destination and just drive to it, since the entire parking lot, no matter how big, is typically defined as a single address, and the navigator will take you to the same spot no matter which store in that parking lot you might be looking for.

[WeeeZer14]

Beyond that, however, parking lot routes have very little use, as once you turn off the public road into a parking lot, you have to visually find your destination and just drive to it, since the entire parking lot, no matter how big, is typically defined as a single address, and the navigator will take you to the same spot no matter which store in that parking lot you might be looking for.

I agree with what you have said except a note about this part I quoted. That is true if you are searching for an address, but if you are searching by the name of a store it is possible that the search provider has returned a location right at the front door of the store.

[CBenson]

In my (limited) experience with Waze, I've found that the only real asset to mapping parking lots is either when a parking lot's exit isn't obvious from all places in the parking lot, as seen in the parking lot here, or if there is a very large parking lot with multiple exits to multiple different roads, Waze can guide you to the most optimal exit based on your route from the parking lot, as seen in the mall parking lot here.

I would agree that these are the types of parking lots that we are addressing here. Although, the proposal does not adversely affect the single parking lot road for the convenience store or fast food parking lot.

Beyond that, however, parking lot routes have very little use, as once you turn off the public road into a parking lot, you have to visually find your destination and just drive to it, since the entire parking lot, no matter how big, is typically defined as a single address, and the navigator will take you to the same spot no matter which store in that parking lot you might be looking for.

This is not true at all in my area. The stores have different addresses. And as WeeeZer said if you search for the store name, Bing will frequently return different locations for different stores using the same parking lot. However, the results seem fairly random, as sometime the Bing coordinates may be on the main road, sometimes in the middle of parking lot, sometimes on the actual building (and these results may be different for different stores in same shopping center).

I also find parking lot roads to be useful for getting a good route when exiting the lot. The advantage to starting your trip on a parking lot road, is that waze will then always route you in the fastest direction on the main road. If the parking lot road is not in waze and you start driving in the lot in the direction opposite to the direction waze would naturally route you and you are close enough to be snapped to the main road, then waze will start you on the main road in the direction you are traveling in the lot. This can sometimes result in a much longer route.