Hi everyone,
As our colleague IsidreAuto told us in his presentation during the Valencia 2026 meetup, since a few weeks ago, we can now map traffic lights in WME.
Editing is available for all editors with N3 or higher.
HOW WILL WE DO IT?
Traffic lights are added as a hazard (to do this, in the “Map Layers” column on the right of the WME, you must first activate the hazards layer):
Next, in the column on the left of the WME, search in the “hazards” dropdown and add them:
+ → Hazard → Traffic Lights → Traffic Light
WHAT ARE THEY FOR?
Traffic lights can be visible in the app and improve the driving experience.
In addition, in some cases Waze can use them as a reference in voice instructions, for example:
“At the traffic light / after the traffic light, turn right”
(we will see more below)
GENERAL COMMUNITY CRITERIA
The idea is to map traffic lights as long as they do not generate confusion in maneuvers and their presence on the map adds value. In Waze, we will focus fundamentally on classic traffic lights FOR DRIVERS (not for pedestrians). Yes, yes, I mean those with vertical or horizontal round lights: red, yellow, and green! 
Pedestrian-only traffic lights outside intersections can also be mapped, especially on main roads through towns, where they serve to catch the attention of drivers. In these cases, keep in mind that it may be necessary to divide segments.
Do not map:
- Temporary construction traffic lights.
- Flashing yellow lights.
- Level crossings with alternating red lights, as they have their own hazard type.
HOW TO PLACE THEM
We can select a node or a segment.
If we select a node, WME will place traffic lights on all segments leading to the node, and then we will delete the unnecessary ones.
If we select a segment, the traffic light is placed at the corresponding end.
The correct position should be at the traffic light stop line.
IMPORTANT PROPERTIES
In Spain, the serial number field currently has no practical use for Waze. We leave it blank.
The most important part is the affected turns, where we can indicate in which turns the traffic light will be visible and in which ones it will or will not be used in instructions.
VOICE OPTIONS
Regarding voice, there are three eligible options (if not, Waze chooses a default option by default):
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Silence: the traffic light will not be named.
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At the traffic light, turn right/left: for turns at the same corner as the traffic light.
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After the traffic light, turn right/left: for turns very close immediately after the traffic light, usually less than 100 meters away.
-
IMPORTANT NOTE: this last option can be confusing if between the mapped traffic light and the turn to be made, there are other unmapped lights (such as flashing yellow caution lights at pedestrian crossings) that some drivers might interpret as a traffic light… we will keep an eye out if this triggers repeated URs.
FINAL REMINDER
Not all existing traffic lights will appear in the app; only those traffic lights that add something (in this case, map quality) to navigation should appear. There are other Waze heuristics, such as lanes or roundabouts, that may take priority.
In general, we can map them following these criteria and let Waze decide to show or mention them when it is most appropriate for the user experience.
Thanks to IsidreAuto for the presentation and for compiling these criteria.
Happy Waze!