Massachusetts State Route Naming Convention

[MVGrim]

I wanted to get a standard naming convention consensus established and documented to guide future renaming efforts.

I see that several routes are titled "State Hwy #" on the map. MassDOT refers to all of the state routes as "State Route #", and commonly refers to them in the shortened form "Rt #". I tend to prefer a shorter naming convention of "SR-#", and it is what I would recommend.

Any thoughts, or would making "SR-#" the state-wide convention be acceptable?

[moogonk]

There already is a convention in place.

http://www.waze.com/wiki/index.php/Map_Editing_-_select_map_editor?title=Road_naming_by_state

[harling]

We are (still) holding out for the state-specific highway designation "MA-##" to be implemented. This effort was put on hold a while back (several months ago), when road-shield management was said to be forthcoming.

Until this is settled and actually implemented, it makes no sense to undertake any manual mass-renaming effort. It is important for routing that any one road be named consistently, but please refrain from changing whatever standard is already in use on any given highway. (If a highway is already inconsistently labeled, and will represent a sizable effort to restore consistency in any case, I suggest using the MA-## designation.)

P.S. For whatever reason, "State Hwy" is what was used throughout the basemap.

P.P.S. Thank you for posting the road naming page. I was unaware that it existed, and have updated it accordingly.

[MVGrim]

I have seen that page (edit: referring to the state naming convention wiki page), but seeing many listed without any reference to consensus and little to no information on the wiki regarding Massachusetts nor any of the discussion leading to accepting that convention made me wary of accepting it at face value. Hence the topic to either lend support to the convention on the wiki or change it, either way updating the wiki with a reference to this topic so that others beginning to edit can have documentation to know that it's been agreed to.

[moogonk]

... I suggest using the MA-## designation.

I think that TTS pronounces that as "mah".

What if we made the standard "Route XX"? That is the way people refer to state routes in Mass, correct?

[harling]

... I suggest using the MA-## designation.

I think that TTS pronounces that as "mah".

It spells it out: "MA-128 N" becomes "emm ay one twenty-eight north". My hope is that Waze will add a TTS pattern that transforms that into simply "roooot one twenty-eight north".

What if we made the standard "Route XX"? That is the way people refer to state routes in Mass, correct?

Also how people here refer to US highways. (Seriously, I didn't even know why the shields for Route 1 and Route 2 were different, until I started editing for Waze and saw that it was "US Hwy 1" but "State Hwy 2". And this is coming from a lifetime member of the National Motorists Association who has been driving here for *mumble* years.)

"Rte" is an option that I considered early on, and decided against because I think it goes too far in the "every state for itself" direction. A certain amount of uniformity is a Good Thing™, and I think an "AA-##" nomenclature that distinguishes between state and US highways throughout the nation, while allowing the "AA" part and its TTS rendering to be localized from state to state, strikes a fair (and versatile) compromise.

[moogonk]

My hope is that Waze will add a TTS pattern that transforms that into simply "roooot one twenty-eight north".

If Waze has stated its intention to modify TTS in that way, then I'm ok with that proposal. But if we're just hoping that someday Waze will do that, then I suggest we create a naming standard that works today.

[i074111104110]

I am not clear about the status of state road shields.

The wiki implies that state shields are working:

The Live Map will parse "State Rte xx" and "State Hwy yyy" and show a sign badge.

Link here: https://www.waze.com/wiki/Road_Naming_(USA)#State_Highways


The wiki also states:

Refer to the road naming by state table for specific formatting of each state.

Link here: https://www.waze.com/wiki/Road_naming_by_state


Drove five Massachusetts numbered routes and passed another today and none of them have shields in the Waze app.
(1A, 27, 109, 115, 126, 140)

So my questions are:

Are road shields a future someday feature like Waze using it's internal house numbering database in directions?

Is there anything that can be done to make these roads display shields in the app today?

Is the state road shield not displaying unique to Massachusetts or is it an issue for all states?

[aplycon]

Not to mention the state wiki says to call MA state routes MA-xxx which isn't the way this says badges will be recognized from:

The wiki implies that state shields are working:
The Live Map will parse "State Rte xx" and "State Hwy yyy" and show a sign badge.

[aplycon]

Drove five Massachusetts numbered routes and passed another today and none of them have shields in the Waze app.
(1A, 27, 109, 115, 126, 140)

Just curious, do you know if those routes were marked using SR-xxx or MA-xxx


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