The definitions at the top are meant as introductions so the reader understands the terms. The criteria give the nitty-gritty details, to the best of our knowledge. I don't know whether or not the criteria is giving things "as the routing server sees it" because I don't know in which order it checkes everything.

Do you think there is some simple way to make this more clear?
To me, it seems pretty clear, so I think I need somebody else's input.

I'll look forward to your proposed rewording of the criteria with the "as of" statement.
BDP has been such a moving target. While I was doing this rewrite, I had to list three different versions of the continuity checks listed for the direct route and try to decide what to do about it.

That sounds like it would work. And it doesn't change the numbering, which some readers who are trying to learn BDP from this page may appreciate.

And using similar naming for both routes seems liek it will make the whole thing easier to understand, too.

Let's try to get some opinions on this change, and if we don't get any objections, make it so.

How about "penalizable" detour?

I just realized that there is a miswording in the current version of the page.
Where the criteria should make reference to "road type groups", they talk about road types. I made this error early on in the rewrite, and it wasn't until I was looking at a MH -> freeway example that it struck me.

I'd like to remedy this ASAP. Should I try to fix up the current page (which is just one step behind on the latest changes to the criteria) or just focus on the current draft?

I have changed the wording in the draft of the page:
https://wazeopedia.waze.com/wiki/USA/in ... Mechanisms

I have updated the wazeopedia page
https://wazeopedia.waze.com/wiki/USA/De ... Mechanisms