Proposal: Make I-495 Express Lanes non-routable
Anyone who has spent any time reviewing URs around the Beltway knows that Waze has a big problem with the 495 Express Lanes. Every day, multiple users complain about "incorrect" directions because they were routed on the Express Lanes but (a) didn't have an EZ-Pass, (b) didn't want to pay the toll, or (c) didn't pay attention to the directions until after they were already on the main Beltway lanes, and then couldn't understand why Waze was telling them to exit left to I-66 (or whatever) when the exit is clearly on the right.
After watching this happen for the last several months, my proposal is that we eliminate these issues by changing the Express Lanes (and, when they open next year, the I-95 Express Lanes as well) to Parking Lot Roads, similar to the way dedicated HOV lanes are treated. If we do this, Waze will never offer any user a route that uses the Express Lanes. Those users who want to use the Express Lanes will still be able to do so, of course, and in most cases, when they enter, Waze should snap to the parking lot segment and then recalculate their route from that point. I say "should" because, with the close proximity between the main and Express lanes, there are bound to be some GPS errors in this process, so we will probably still have some user complaints. But those issues are more likely to affect those users who deliberately chose to take the Express Lanes, so they ought to be less surprised by them than are clueless users who are just going where Waze tells them to.
Admittedly, this will inconvenience the minority of Waze users who do patronize the Express Lanes, but this inconvenience would be offset by a better experience for the majority.
I'll leave this thread open for a week or so before doing anything, to see if there is a consensus to make this change.
After watching this happen for the last several months, my proposal is that we eliminate these issues by changing the Express Lanes (and, when they open next year, the I-95 Express Lanes as well) to Parking Lot Roads, similar to the way dedicated HOV lanes are treated. If we do this, Waze will never offer any user a route that uses the Express Lanes. Those users who want to use the Express Lanes will still be able to do so, of course, and in most cases, when they enter, Waze should snap to the parking lot segment and then recalculate their route from that point. I say "should" because, with the close proximity between the main and Express lanes, there are bound to be some GPS errors in this process, so we will probably still have some user complaints. But those issues are more likely to affect those users who deliberately chose to take the Express Lanes, so they ought to be less surprised by them than are clueless users who are just going where Waze tells them to.
Admittedly, this will inconvenience the minority of Waze users who do patronize the Express Lanes, but this inconvenience would be offset by a better experience for the majority.
I'll leave this thread open for a week or so before doing anything, to see if there is a consensus to make this change.
Re: Proposal: Make I-495 Express Lanes non-routable