Get a sneak peek at whats next for Permanent Hazards on our April 7th Office Hours!

Post Reply

Updating Parking Lot road type instructions

Post by
I have received some feedback on PM that we should update and be more clear about when to recommend adding parking lot roads to the map. I believe gettingthere made some recent updates based on viewtopic.php?f=10&t=20756, but it took a ton of searching to finally find https://www.waze.com/wiki/index.php/Roa ... g_Lot_Road. I can certainly make that reference pop up much easier. That entry already has some of the key points I believe we are currently recommending:
  • Don't go wild adding every lane of the parking lot. Focus on the primary lanes that lead to/from the surrounding streets.
  • Use the parking lot road type for all segments of the parking lot.
  • In large parking lots that are near streets, map out the outer-most driving lane of the lot to prevent the routing server from snapping drivers to the adjacent road, but think traffic is slowed to 5 MPH /10KPH.
What I am not sure of is if we all agree on these additional recommendations. If we do have them in the Wiki, we should add why each is recommended to help people understand the logic:
  • 1. Do not map every parking lot you see on the map unless you get a user request or the system is reporting an error. [Because...]

    2. When responding to automated map errors, rather than mapping a parking lot with individual roads, consider mapping a "parking lot" landmark over the area to stop the routing server from reporting the problem.
I am not sure if there are other recommendations, so if anyone has any ideas on these additional recommendations or has more, please comment so we can best determine what more to cover in the Wiki.

POSTER_ID:7009939

1

Send a message

Post by AlanOfTheBerg
gettingthere wrote:Has Waze provided any updates on what they are planning to do...
I feel this is a rhetorical question. :P
AlanOfTheBerg
EmeritusChamps
EmeritusChamps
Posts: 23627
Has thanked: 568 times
Been thanked: 3478 times
Send a message
Wiki Resources: Map Editing Manual | alanoftheberg@gmail.com
Oregon-based US Ex-Global Champ Editor | iPhone13Pro - VZ

Post by AlanOfTheBerg
jasonh300 wrote:Assuming that you're on the world server (not U.S. or Canada), there's currently a delay of about 10 days to see your updates. You can follow this at http://status.waze.com
NA is now delayed too.
AlanOfTheBerg
EmeritusChamps
EmeritusChamps
Posts: 23627
Has thanked: 568 times
Been thanked: 3478 times
Send a message
Wiki Resources: Map Editing Manual | alanoftheberg@gmail.com
Oregon-based US Ex-Global Champ Editor | iPhone13Pro - VZ

Post by AlanOfTheBerg
The best functionality, and not cluttering the map with colored landmarks, segment is the answer for me.
AlanOfTheBerg
EmeritusChamps
EmeritusChamps
Posts: 23627
Has thanked: 568 times
Been thanked: 3478 times
Send a message
Wiki Resources: Map Editing Manual | alanoftheberg@gmail.com
Oregon-based US Ex-Global Champ Editor | iPhone13Pro - VZ

Post by bgodette
From my own testing PLot Landmarks suppress automatic jams even tho the client shows you snapped to the nearest road. Given that, the only arguments for mapping parking lot roads are:

1) Gives Waze a segment closer to a POI/Address that's more appropriate to navigate to, e.g. a Mall/Office building next to a freeway without the roads may navigate to a point on the freeway. Also allows navigation to the unit for strip-malls, which is pretty cool actually.

2) Can give the best route OUT of a large parking lot assuming turn restrictions are set correctly.

3) There's turn restrictions/signage at exits that disallow certain maneuvers, such as exiting a parking lot via right turn, cutting across 3-4 lanes of traffic to make a left at the traffic light 15ft away from the exit. This currently still needs hacks to prevent, see: here and here.

In either case it's usually the larger lots that need actual segments, the corner gas station or mid-block drive-thru usually just needs a landmark.
bgodette
Waze Global Champs
Waze Global Champs
Posts: 3441
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 257 times
Send a message

Post by bgodette
CBenson wrote:
bgodette wrote:In either case it's usually the larger lots that need actual segments, the corner gas station or mid-block drive-thru usually just needs a landmark.
So what's the advantage to using the landmark rather than the segments?
6 clicks and done, no turn restrictions to deal with, and no country/state/city?
bgodette
Waze Global Champs
Waze Global Champs
Posts: 3441
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 257 times
Send a message

Post by bgodette
CBenson wrote:So how does the suppression of automatic traffic alerts for parking lot landmarks work? If you designate the corner gas station, coffee shop or convenience store with a parking lot landmark, will that allow the wazers that venture into the landmark to be more easily unsnapped from the road that they are leaving? Or do you still need a road in the landmark for waze to realize that you have driven into the landmark?
This is just a guess, that has slightly more information from the last time I tested this: If your GPS position, which is independent from where your car icon may happen to be snapped to, is inside a parking lot landmark, you will not generate automatic traffic jams. You can have to client show a little icon for your GPS position by enabling "GPS.Show GPS" in the preferences file. Hopefully this weekend I'll get a chance to retest with Debug turned on, as the last time I looked at debug logs it had stuff about the Jam detection.
bgodette
Waze Global Champs
Waze Global Champs
Posts: 3441
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 257 times
Send a message

Post by bgodette
james9becker wrote:Very funny. That is a @#&$!#$& way to get out of Level 1 editor jail.
Jim
Just like Google MapMaker and OSM! :lol:
bgodette
Waze Global Champs
Waze Global Champs
Posts: 3441
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 257 times
Send a message

Post by CBenson
bgodette wrote:In either case it's usually the larger lots that need actual segments, the corner gas station or mid-block drive-thru usually just needs a landmark.
So what's the advantage to using the landmark rather than the segments?
CBenson
EmeritusChamps
EmeritusChamps
Posts: 10330
Has thanked: 608 times
Been thanked: 1642 times
Send a message
Regional Coordinator: Mid-Atlantic, US
Verizon, Nexus 6, Android 6.0.1, Waze 4.7.0.902

Post by CBenson
So how does the suppression of automatic traffic alerts for parking lot landmarks work? If you designate the corner gas station, coffee shop or convenience store with a parking lot landmark, will that allow the wazers that venture into the landmark to be more easily unsnapped from the road that they are leaving? Or do you still need a road in the landmark for waze to realize that you have driven into the landmark?
CBenson
EmeritusChamps
EmeritusChamps
Posts: 10330
Has thanked: 608 times
Been thanked: 1642 times
Send a message
Regional Coordinator: Mid-Atlantic, US
Verizon, Nexus 6, Android 6.0.1, Waze 4.7.0.902

Post by CBenson
I agree that instructions to unnamed parking lot roads should use "towards" or "to" rather than "at." I prefer to have the name of the road mentioned in the instruction rather than a generic turn at parking lot road instruction. Its only confusing because it says "at" and you are not yet turning at the road. But I find it very helpful when in large parking lots to have the name of the exit in the initial instruction that waze gives me.
CBenson
EmeritusChamps
EmeritusChamps
Posts: 10330
Has thanked: 608 times
Been thanked: 1642 times
Send a message
Regional Coordinator: Mid-Atlantic, US
Verizon, Nexus 6, Android 6.0.1, Waze 4.7.0.902