Road Types (USA) – comprehensive overhaul of drivable roads

[Fredo-p]

Could it be possible to have every state champ create a list of sorts for how every state recognizes and classifies their road types, then submit this information in one massive pool with all the champs to examine?

Once all the data has been grouped, examine the similarities and differences between each state, and try to come up with an "allowable tolerance" to what can and can't be recognized, per state, so that a "flow" is established nation wide.

Of course, a national standards is extremely hard to meet since every state runs their DOT very differently. But it may be possible to find a median to all of this. Of course I, like many, was never a part of the Champs discussion on the matter, so I don't know what kind of planning or how much research was done. For all I know, I may be recommending something that has already been done.

Of course, such a task is also labor intensive and requires a lot of personal time to accomplish, so it may be difficult to perform as we all have real world matters to tend to.

[kentsmith9]

Okay,
I really, really hope this helps resolve some of the issues that have happened as a result of the very strict and "simple" table I have created. This is the new table I have made. What I did was remove only the road types that are not recognized in Arizona. I have also relabeled the classifications to how the Arizona DOT has labeled them.

Is this a more usable table that follows what is on the road types wiki?

new table.jpg

I believe there is an error in your table. The final column should look like the National FC table with Primary Streets and Streets. I think the rest is OK. Technically you are following the National Standard, but you just happen to not have road types (business loops and country roads) in 4 of the columns.

[Fredo-p]

but you just happen to not have road types (business loops and country roads) in 4 of the columns.

I left those out because Arizona does not use Business loops or Country Roads. Heck, they don't have County Routes either.

[Fredo-p]

Wait, wait, wait. I see what you mean. I'm looking at it now.

[Fredo-p]

@kentsmith9,
I've updated the table with the missing class types that I thought I did correctly. Does it follow it better?

Also, for the color column, that is meant to indicate what the color of the Arizona DOT APLAN Gis map color scheme represents in regards to Waze color and classification.

[sketch]

Okay,
I really, really hope this helps resolve some of the issues that have happened as a result of the very strict and "simple" table I have created. This is the new table I have made. What I did was remove only the road types that are not recognized in Arizona. I have also relabeled the classifications to how the Arizona DOT has labeled them.

Is this a more usable table that follows what is on the road types wiki?

The attachment new table.jpg is no longer available

Not sure if you have an updated table somewhere, but this chart is non-compliant.

This is a hack job, but this is the correct content for your simplified chart.

new table.png (218.14 KiB) Viewed 621 times

[Fredo-p]

Okay,
I really, really hope this helps resolve some of the issues that have happened as a result of the very strict and "simple" table I have created. This is the new table I have made. What I did was remove only the road types that are not recognized in Arizona. I have also relabeled the classifications to how the Arizona DOT has labeled them.

Is this a more usable table that follows what is on the road types wiki?

new table.jpg

Not sure if you have an updated table somewhere, but this chart is non-compliant.

This is a hack job, but this is the correct content for your simplified chart.

new table.png

I caught that after Kent's comment. I have already changed the table to reflect the proper class types. Seems I deleted the wrong section of the table code and forgot to preview it first to ensure I edited correctly. Check it now and see if I omitted any other class sections.

[bart99gt]

So a US highway should be a major highway regardless of FC?

Not exactly. It would be a major highway minimum, but if FC has it as a freeway, keep it as a freeway.

If FC has it as a minor arterial (or less if that ever happens), it would always be upgraded to major highway under the new rules.

FWIW, US-51 in N Mississippi has several stretches where it is classified as a primary collector. It parallels I-55 for most of its length.

[Fredo-p]

First off, I want to say I have experienced the greatest brain fart of all time. This entire time I thought this topic was in the map editor section and not the wiki section. (Where the hell is my Ritalin?)

Also,
I think it would be important to update the Road Types page with information about the Indian Reservation and how it handles road classifications.

An Indian route is a type of minor numbered road in the United States found on some Indian reservations. The routes are signed by shields featuring a downward-pointing arrowhead with varying designs depending on the state and/or reservation. These routes are part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Road System, which also includes federal aid roads, interior or locally funded roads, highway trust fund roads, tribal public roads, county or township roads, parts of the state highway system, and other federal agency public roads.[1] Maintenance of these routes varies by locality and could be the responsibility of the BIA, a given tribal nation, or both.

[davielde]

FWIW, US-51 in N Mississippi has several stretches where it is classified as a primary collector. It parallels I-55 for most of its length.

The goal of the automatic upgrade to MH minimum for US routes was to have a consistent "resolution" level, which is the pruning concept discussed elsewhere as part of the FC rollout. A US route collector (actually any collector) classified as a Primary Street segment will not be considered apart from the first or last 15km of a short route or 50km for a longer route. Major Highways do not have that limitation, and they help better reflect the "network" that makes up the US highway system. The upgrade to MH doesn't mean that Waze would prefer the collector portions of US-51 over another potentially faster road, but it would at least consider them for longer routes.

Unless as a collector it routes someone through a fire swamp or is filled with rodents of unusual size, it sounds like it may be a good bypass for I-55 if someone has "avoid highways" (freeways) enabled. Waze would be more willing to use it for longer distance travel or detours as a MH if it's deemed faster than any other route. Keeping it as PS may end up routing such a user way out of the way even if US-51 otherwise would be part of a fastest or shortest non-freeway route.

Perhaps we need to get a basic section on "pruning" added to the wiki as well. That may help clear up some confusion as to where road types actually do matter from a routing perspective.