And just because short sections may be built to interstate standards doesn't mean it should be changed there. A roadway should be fairly consistent along its length and not be flipping between different road types.


iOS and Tapatalk have conspired to screw up this post.

How does DC(?) DOT classify those roads on their Federal Functional Classification Maps?

EDITS: Found this map http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/About+DDOT/M ... cation+Map & is classified as Principal Arterial - Other Expressway which in the population centers (and most of the north east) matches up to Major Highway - based on the original Waze definitions. PM me for more info.

mobileandmonitoring wrote:You can find some parallels on Long Island, NY, where the NYS parkway system is the island's "freeways".

The NY team of functional classification editors hasn't gotten to LI yet, but I just checked the NYS DOT Functional Classification information (http://gis.dot.ny.gov/fc/) and the Parkways on LI are classified as "Principal Arterial - Expressway" and match up to Major Highway. If you look at other parkways in NY (Bronx River Pkwy, Hutchinson River Pkwy, Saw Mill River Pkwy, Cross County Pkwy) they are all Major Highways. (https://www.waze.com/editor/?zoom=0&lat ... TTTTTTTTFT)

The only thing that should be a freeway running E-W on LI is I-495 and that runs pretty much right down the middle of the island.

Waze types should be determined by using the Federal Functional Classification documents from your state DOT, this takes the "guesswork" out of the equation (see my post above to the DC FC Map).

mobileandmonitoring wrote:Andy,

Do you have those maps for VA and MD as well? The sections I was wanting to address are not located in the District but the neighboring states.

I trust the functional classification editors know what they're doing for Long Island, but as someone who grew up there and spent 15+ years driving those parkways I wouldn't think of calling them anything but interstates. They have no stop lights or at-grade intersections, and all travel at 55+ mph.

But I'm digressing....do you think that as part of a road's classification / waze type, a "reasonable person standard" should also apply to help make our maps much better than the others because they reflect the reality of the road's intended use and design?

As I get more experienced with Waze editing, it's really useful for me to have these conversations and understand more. I definitely appreciate you helping out.

I'll PM you when I get out of work around noon today...

I get up just north of NYC, and there are most certainly traffic lights on the LIE - they are invisible to everyone except those people who live on the island, but they are there, and traffic will inexplicably come to a complete stop at them...

The Clara Barton Pkwy is mostly in Maryland. It is a fairly short limited access parkway. I believe that parkway is this case means that the road is maintained by the US Park Service. Thus, I don't believe that Maryland includes the parkway in its functional classification list. The Clara Barton Pkwy ends at Canal Rd which I certainly wouldn't consider freeway. Thus, I don't really think it makes much of a difference whether the road is classed freeway or major highway.

The George Washington Pkwy is mostly in Virginia, in the same national park as the Clara Barton. In fact the Clara Barton used to officially also just be part of the George Washington Pkwy, but as they are physically separate roads on the opposite side of the Potomac River, it was just too confusing to call both the GW Pkwy. I don't know if or how Virginia classes the GW Pkwy. However, it is a limited access road although there is a gap for the city of Alexandria where it is not limited access and I don't think Washington St through Alexandria is signed as the GW Pkwy. The northern section does connect the Capitol Beltway (I-495) north of DC with I-66 and I-395 where these interstates cross the Potomac into DC. I would consider the northern section of the GW Pkwy a artery from the Beltway into DC that is fairly equivalent to I-66 and I-395 and for that reason would consider making the northern section freeway. However the GW Parkway is not constructed to interstate standards and thus is distinguishable from the interstates based on criteria such as speed limits, shoulders and truck restrictions.

I have no objections to those changes, but I don't regularly drive those roads. I wouldn't really see any consequences that may result.

You can see Virginia classifications on maps like this found here. For Maryland state maintained roads, I tend to look at the location references found here. In Maryland you will find most roads classed as "frwy expwy," such as the ICC (MD-200), typed in waze as freeway.

Here was my idea, and I apologize for not including these earlier. I think it would further highlight these typically traffic free and underutilized routes to enhance the Waze experience for drivers, and improve routing.

GW Parkway from these highlighted segments all the way West to the 495 terminus is nothing but freeway. It is not an interstate, but for all purposes for anyone who's driven it is a freeway. It is a major alternative during PM rush hour when folks can't get on I-66 due to HOV restrictions.

https://www.waze.com/editor/?zoom=5&lat ... 4,52710241

Clara Barton Parkway from these highlighted segments all the way West to its terminus is also nothing but freeway.

https://www.waze.com/editor/?zoom=4&lat ... 7,63459338

You can find some parallels on Long Island, NY, where the NYS parkway system is the island's "freeways".

https://www.waze.com/editor/?zoom=0&lat ... TFTTTTTTFT


Look forward to continuing the conversation!

Andy,

Do you have those maps for VA and MD as well? The sections I was wanting to address are not located in the District but the neighboring states.

I trust the functional classification editors know what they're doing for Long Island, but as someone who grew up there and spent 15+ years driving those parkways I wouldn't think of calling them anything but interstates. They have no stop lights or at-grade intersections, and all travel at 55+ mph.

But I'm digressing....do you think that as part of a road's classification / waze type, a "reasonable person standard" should also apply to help make our maps much better than the others because they reflect the reality of the road's intended use and design?

As I get more experienced with Waze editing, it's really useful for me to have these conversations and understand more. I definitely appreciate you helping out.