Currently Waze treats dirt roads like a PS but with the dirt attribute. Dirt roads are about to be changed to impassable in the routing engine. Therefore Waze staff are auto converting the dirt roads to a different FC type with the unpaved attribute checked.
Do we want the dirt roads statewide converted to streets or to primary streets?
PS would leave routing as currently is. Streets would more accurately reflect real life FC. There are arguments both ways.
We are not aware of a dirt road with higher FC than street in PA. But there could be a change in routing from the current configuration. That’s OK if everyone is on board with that.
Please post your vote here — street or primary street. Also feel free to discuss further too!
Team -
A true dirt road should not be classified as a street. It should have a dirt road classification that does not navigate through traffic. The issue I’ve seen is some editors not understanding the difference between a dirt road, gravel road, or tarred & chipped surface road. Gravel roads can be S or PS. I’ve seen tarred & chipped surface’s on PA state highways in rural area’s.
IMO a dirt road is one that is drivable ONLY by 4x4 or off road vehicle - particularly in wet conditions. It is typically impassable by a passenger car. Any gravel road (that does not turn to mud like a dirt road), drivable by a car should be classified as “Street” type - at minimum. I’ve seen named gravel roads with HN’s in the Pocono’s listed as “dirt” roads incorrectly.
You’ve essentially explained why the existing dirt road segment type is being converted to impassable with respect to routing. However, the dirt roads that we currently have mapped, are passable. These are being converted to another segment type, other than dirt road/4x4/unpaved/whatever the current name is. The unpaved attribute is being added at the same time.
With that said, what I’ve encountered on the map as a dirt road would be sufficiently covered as a Street segment type with the Unpaved attribute post-conversion.
If there is a road that would FC as something higher and is currently set as a dirt road/4x4/unpaved segment type, we can adjust that segment accordingly. I’m not aware of anything that I’ve encountered.
You are correct. However I’ve found a large amount of Dirt Surface roads in the NW corner marked as Dirt. I’ve converted those of which I’ve had EA rights to and spent a large amount of time since this announcement primarily looking for and changing roads that I know are improperly marked dirt to “Street”, w/“unpaved” box checked. The number of “streets” improperly marked “dirt” in this area certainly outnumber the amount of actual dirt roads. Of course this may vary in different areas, especially hunting or recreational tourist areas. But converting to Street is much better that Primary Street.