Waze forum

I'm starting this thread to discuss the road closure feature released in v3.6. Instead of burying information in individual OS-based client threads, it seems to make sense to put it here.

Here are two articles Waze/Noam have tweeted today regarding the new closure feature. I assure you, most Champs did not know some of the details shared in the articles prior to today either. We aren't keeping info from anyone.

http://www.waze.com/blog/introducing-wa ... nexpected/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... -c-2013-02
http://mashable.com/2013/02/27/waze-road-closed/
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/2 ... ads-close/
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681469/waze ... n-steroids
http://gigaom.com/2013/02/27/waze-adds- ... id-update/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/27/waze- ... -its-maps/
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/02/ ... p-updates/

And here's what I posted to the Android v3.6 thread regarding what I've gleaned from the articles so far.

Articles posted on the internets today suggest there is a critical mass of users who must report a road closed. There is some magical trickery which assigns what is referred to as a "trust value" to users. Maybe that's rank, who knows?! But fewer users of higher trust value are required to close a road and affect routing for all users. (This sounds a bit similar to users required to unapprove cameras from the use of the "Not there" button in the app.)

Something else I noticed with the road closure functionality that I haven't seen mentioned is the ability to mark multiple segments closed at once from the intersection.

There was an instance yesterday where a gas main break forced the closure of a section of roadway. At a 4-way intersection, both the northbound and eastbound roads from the intersection were closed. So all northbound traffic was sent west, eastbound was sent south. From the road closure window, I could only select one direction for closure. And before I could go back into it, I was already outside of the area where I could mark that intersection.

This was also an area were being able to only report on your immediate segment was an issue. There are smaller intersections very close to the main intersection, so my only option for marking the closure was immediately before the intersection where the police were directing traffic. Not exactly useful or safe method.

davipt wrote:What do you exactly mean "it closed straight away"?

The term "straight away" means "immediately."

Question xteejx: you are stating that it reported "closed" and would not route for your friend, correct?

fvwazing wrote:All the traffic jams around it were signalized by the dozens of Wazers that were routed into the area. Yes, DOZENS. From n00bs to royalty - at no time the freeway was signaled closed by Waze.

The issue with routing despite near-closure speeds and multiple jam reports is a known issue we continue to deal with and ask Waze to solve. I am curious if you know for certain that one or more Wazers actually used the Closure feature. One would assume so, I understand.

CBenson wrote:when I selected the road closed feature, it still gave me options like I was on the prior block.

I'd post this in the feedback thread. This feature is still pretty buggy.

I also agree, and we shared as much when it was first released, that the interface/process is too clumsy, items too small, and ability to actually enter a usable closure too limited for this feature to be widely accepted in the app.

CBenson wrote:What do road closure pins without red/white closed road segments mean?
How does one create such pins?

Those are probably from the app, but not enough "power" to actually close the segments?

US-specific discussion of the Navy Yard shootings road closures moved here: http://www.waze.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&t=62660

I-84 was closed this morning due to several multi-vehicle accidents because the road was a "sheet of ice". DOT was routing traffic off at an exit and back on further down the highway - this closure covered multiple Waze segments (the segment between the off ramp and the on ramp, the segment after the on ramp, etc, etc). There doesn't appear to be a way to close multiple segments, or am I missing something?

KidsDrDave wrote:Hi folks. New Waze user here. There's a bridge over an interstate that was closed for construction for a few months. I reported it as a construction closure, and then a few days later another user reported the closure as an Event. The bridge has since been opened, but the Event is still in place, and therefore the app tries to route me around it. It's in a really rural area, where overpasses are few and far between, so it really alters my ETA. I've driven across the now-open bridge at least 5 times, but no change on Waze. I commented on the Event, saying it's now open, but I don't see a way to cancel an event that someone else posted. Any ideas?

Only senior editors can add/remove long term closures. Please post a Permalink to the bridge & a description (backed up with links to government or local news websites if possible) in the proper state forum under the United States section of the forum. You'll get faster, local help posting there.