Propose to allow using Parking - Address when that is the name used by a parking lot operator. Especially if the parking lot's entrance is not near the address of the lot/front door. This will help someone who searches for the address, they can be routed to the front door to drop someone off or if desired will see the "Parking - Address" and be routed to the location to park on a side street, the street behind the main address or an alley/parking lot road between buildings when the parking lot's/garage's entrance is not visible from the address pin.

Please not that this guidance is not for general parking at a store like Starbucks or where several stores share a parking lot at a strip mall. The address would not be used. This is only for when the address is used as the proper name of a parking lot/garage by the operator of the lot/garage (or a parking lot finder app).

My proposal is here.

A change display from the current wording is available here.

sketch wrote:This proposal is not appropriate, however, for public lots that simply use the address as the name. It would upend the current guidance for public parking lot places, which is to use the official name of the parking lot alone (e.g., “Grove Street Garage”), the official name along with the operator (e.g., “P249 - Premium Parking”), or to leave name blank if there is no name (and allow the address to show).

For parking lots that are identified by an address by the operators and that have an entrance on another street. Open to suggestions on how to address this problem. How do you suggest that we provide proper guidance to the entrance particularly when the entrance is not visible from the HN or RPP anchor point?

Understand that this is a major change from the current guidance, which is why it is proposed so that there can be discussion. I don't understand why a proposed change is not appropriate if the change can improve the routing for users. Proposing the change does not mean that it has to be made; changes like this to the wazeopedia are only made if there is consensus.

This is only for garages that have the address as their official name from the sources that people use; whether it is the operator's website or a parking lot finder app/website.

I might be missing something but this proposal is meant to be along the lines of what Sketch previously mentioned for hotels, to match what they list on their website. This is just to match what is listed by the parking lot operator's website or a parking lot finder app/website so that Waze users can easily identify the lot for their location, especially if it is not visible from the location of the building's address.

If you search for a business and have the app suggest parking locations this has no affect on the current state. If you search for an address of the location either from knowing the locations address or using the provider's name of the lot or using a parking app to suggest a lot to park at, then you will see the front door of the location as the address and also have the Parking - Address show up. The entrance to many lots on a major street are often not on that street since that is a loss of prime real estate (think prime location store front rental being more than the place around the corner with the same address). The pin for the parking lot would be to the actual location of the entrance not the store front.

I can accept using just the parking lot operator website names.

After going over many (approximately 500 PLAs) in the DC area the parking apps use the names that the parking operators use. There is no point with the parking lot apps coming up with new and unique names. I had proposed using that as a source of the name since they appear to be a good secondary source since about 10-15% of the parking lots changed operating companies over about a year and a half from when Waze imported them. Needless to say it will be a constant challenge to keep them up to date. I am finding several SV signs where recent photos show the parking lot operator websites are not updated very well.

I think that Karografer's examples need one where just the address is used. Vice "18th Avenue/Geary Lot" Example is "901 New York Ave NW" in Washington DC

Here is the parking lot operator's website

Here is the front entrance to 901 New York Ave NW Washington DC. Note they have the address posted on either side of the door.

Here is the actual entrance to the garage on K St NW. Note they have the address of 901 New York Ave shown on this street. (Can't use a HN or RPP since the above photo is the actual entrance to building.


Searching for the address in the app will show both the address and Parking - 901 New York Ave
Search showing location of the address in the pin

if you select the 2nd item (parking lot) pin shows it is on K St NW


Understand that many don't do the full search but this is much more useful. And even if they don't do the search when these are recommended as the closest parking the name will match what they see when they drive up to the entrance on a different street.

Also should be noted that the driving distance to the parking garage from the front door is about the 3rd closest entrance but using the other requires a person to walk outside vice just to the stairs/elevator in the same building. Maybe not a big deal in Hawaii but the heat and humidity in August or the Snow/sleet in the winter can be more of a determining factor than the price of the lot.

That is fine to add as an example.
It shows the official name and that the entrance is on a street at the back of the address. It also shows that the user has a choice of the address or where its parking is. Hopefully the pictures help the explain the concept.

Is is worth having a note at the bottom of the example about this is not for the street level parking lot at The Home Depot? Understand the concern about upending the way PLAs are done and this is just for when the lots are identified by their address as the lot's name.

Many PLAs were generated by new editors using the previous PLA PURs that made a basic rectangular shape that covered the building(s) in the area and not just the pavement. They are often just an unnamed public parking lot with no other information. Is is worth stating that they should be cleaned up per standards when found (which can be a bit of work) or that they can be deleted since they are often the closest parking lot and will often have an unreasonable suggestion of a 10-14 min walk to your destination's location even though the destination has its own parking lot?

The notice at the top of the page was placed to alert everyone at the time the parking lot changes happened, and most likely should all be integrated at the appropriate points in the article.

Can you say more about the specific guidance you have received, and how it is different from the guidance on this page? Thanks.

That would be nice. It does give rank 1 editors in "mature" areas of the map something to do for the time being.

In the meantime - who can suggest where each of the little bits in that box at the top of the page should find its correct place in the body of the article?

If there is no compelling reason to put the address in the primary name, then I agree that there is no compelling reason to put it in the alternate name