The "basemap" is the original road data that Waze imported in 2009. It needs to be updated by map editors to function optimally.
Recommended scripts/plugins
- Use WME Toolbox, and use the recommended settings shown in the screenshot.
- Use WME Validator to assist with identifying roads to update.
- Then install the WME Validator Localization for Nebraska
- WME Color Highlights to help identify other potential problem roads, such as rural one-way roads that should be two-way.
Common basemap issues
- Roads with unknown direction.
- Rural areas: Set as two-way unless there is reason to suspect a one-way (AGC, other).
- Urban areas: Check streetview and/or GIS resources to determine two-way or one-way.
- Two-way roads incorrectly marked as one-way (one-way roads are rare outside urban areas).
- Rural areas: Set as two-way unless there is reason to suspect a one-way (AGC, other).
- Urban areas: Check streetview and/or GIS resources to determine two-way or one-way.
- Soft (Unconfirmed) Turns.
- Rural areas: Allow all turns ("Q" then "W" hotkeys with WME Toolbox), unless there is reason to suspect a turn might not be allowed.
- Urban areas: Check streetview and/or GIS resources to determine which turns are legal.
- Unnecessary Junctions, which also frequently have Unconfirmed Turns.
- Soft-turns must be confirmed.
- All of the parameters of the 2 roads must match) before the junction can be deleted.
- Select the junction and use the upper-right "trash can" delete button, or carefully use the WME Toolbox "Suppress unneeded junctions" function if of sufficient editing level.
- If you can't delete a junction, something about the roads does not match. Try reloading the roads (ALT+SHIFT+R) to ensure you're seeing valid data.
- Incorrect u-turns.
- Enabled U-turns should be somewhat rare in urban areas, and almost non-existent in rural areas.
- When basemap editing in rural areas, it is generally safe to assume the u-turn should be removed. The "Q" hotkey with WME Toolbox will remove them easily.
- In urban areas, u-turns are governed by the Nebraska u-turn wiki section
- Reverse connections.
- One-segment loops (often at the end of rural driveways).
- You can try to repair the loop, but often these are best simply deleted and the preceding driveway adjusted/extended some.
- 2-segment loops that should be 3-segment (example: multi-entry rural driveways arcs).
- First ensure the correct Road Type and Direction...
- Then select one of the endpoint junctions and press "Q" to have WME Toolbox automatically add an additional junction node for you. Or draw a new road with one end connected to a point in the middle of the loop, then delete the new road.
- Private farming paths that probably should not be mapped at all in Waze (to irrigation pivots, grain silos, other private building that no Wazer would route to.)
- Driveways to buildings that no longer exist, or other superfluous roads.
- "Spaghetti": A mess of private roads, paths, tracks added from a previous visual analysis of satellite imagery.
- Missing, outdated, or incorrect road names, or they do not match the NE road naming standards or USA abbreviations.
- Private roads with the State set as Iowa.
Other improvements to make
- If needed, update the Functional Classification to the appropriate road type.
- Update the lock level to match the road type.
- Add Speed Limits.
- Correct elevation and add bridges/tunnels where appropriate per the Seagull guidelines.
Additional editing tips
- Zoom in to level 4 or closer so that Validator highlights problems on segments of type Street and Private Road, and so that you can see the road characteristics (one-way/two-way/unknown, etc.).
- Consider updating and preserving private roads that parallel a public road (instead of deleting them), so that a Wazer on the private road isn't associated by Waze with the public road and potentially polluting the speed data.