CBenson wrote:I don't like "BUS." Its a word.
...
I prefer "ALT" ...

I don't think we should not use something as an abbreviation just because it is a word. "Alt" is also a word, not only an abbreviation.

kentsmith9 wrote:Although for this case, IMO, the first definition of BUS is a vehicle that carries people and could be a BUS route, BUS lane, etc. The abbreviation for "Business" is a secondary thought for most people especially without the period.

I get it. I think perhaps (maybe better in another thread), that we prefer spelling out business, but in the case of long segment names, or ramps with multiple wayfinder bits of information, we allow for use of the abbreviation for the sake of screen space.

txemt wrote:Texas has a US-90 Business as well as a US-90 Alt. They are two totally separate roads. =\

That's fine and works for me. But is there a US-90 Alternate and a US-90 Alt which are totally different?

sketch wrote:The way shield rules are apparently written means they're flexible for numbers but not letters, so we'd have to define not only US-n, US-nn, US-nnn but also US-nnA, US-nnE, US-nnW... for US highways.

It may be exception-only based, but Waze does "support" letter suffixes in shields. IMO, if there's no space, it's part of the main shield numbering. If it's one of a limited number of abbreviation strings with space after a route/interstate designation, then that should be a different shield with the appropriate signage.

I still think that it is going to be too much for Waze to take on individual state shielding for the near future. Maybe in a year or two...

txemt wrote:I also cannot think of any US-90 Alternates or Businesses (unless there's one way out in West Texas).

I thought I-35E in Texas properly showed the 35E in the shield. I swear it used to...

Anyway, in my neck o the woods, there are are examples of several:

• US-30 Byp
• US-101 Business
• State Hwy 104 Spur connects between OR104 and US101, so it isn't really a "spur" technically, and it's signed locally as US-101 Alternate!
• US-30 is concurrent with I-84 throughout Oregon and acts as an I-84 business route/loop in several towns. It is signed as US-30 just leaves the concurrency for a while to act as that business route. I image this happens similarly in other areas of the country.
• OR18 BUS is a state business route in Sheridan, OR
• US-97 BUS runs through Bend OR, paralleling US-97. (Not properly abbreviated, etc. waiting for standard guidelines.)

txemt wrote:It did. I-35W also showed. Are they not shield anymore?

I checked livemap and didn't see it, though maybe I was looking in the right place. In contrast, I can see 99E and 99W for state routes in Oregon in livemap.

I don't like "BUS." Its a word. This is a case where I would use "Business."

Note that the FHWA seems to be pushing "Express" for variable toll lanes. Thus, you should be seeing more Local/Thru lane signage where there are no variable toll lanes.

I don't see an advantage to the Spur/Loop distinction. Is there a place where there is an I-XX Business Spur and a nearby I-XX Business Loop that could be confused for each other?

I prefer "ALT" "Alternate" "Spur" "Truck" and "By-Pass" I've not seen as sign for a connector route that I can remember so have no opinion on that one.

"Conn", "La", and "Penn" are examples of names.

This section should be reversed to show what is preferred first, not last:

Wiki wrote:== Official sources of mapping information ==

Being in the Waze community of editors means sharing information you discover and learning from the discoveries of others! You can see some of the (old) [http://www.waze.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&t=13695 official sources of mapping information (US only) provided in the forum] or check out the (new) [[Mapping resources/USA|mapping resources]] wiki page (preferred).

AlanOfTheBerg wrote:

CBenson wrote:I don't like "BUS." Its a word.
...
I prefer "ALT" ...

I don't think we should not use something as an abbreviation just because it is a word. "Alt" is also a word, not only an abbreviation.

I agree we should not make blanket statements like that.

Although for this case, IMO, the first definition of BUS is a vehicle that carries people and could be a BUS route, BUS lane, etc. The abbreviation for "Business" is a secondary thought for most people especially without the period.

ALT is less likely considered by its definition of "high" than it would be its abbreviation of Alternate when put on a navigation application.

In New Jersey, BUSINESS is used for surface loop roads that parallel a nearby freeway with the same route number. ALT is used for other alternate loops, and SPUR is used for route branches that do not loop back to the main line. The word business is spelled out on all non-legacy signs to avoid confusion with the vehicle that carries lots of passengers, especially since some urban highways have dedicated bus lanes. New York, on the other hand, marks route loops and spurs with a letter suffix; it could be any letter and there doesn't seem to be any methodical reason to what letter is chosen.

I think we need to support all 4 means of non-mainline route designations to most-accurately reflect what people will see along the highway.