Lanes
General details on Lanes and how to map them can be found on the Lanes Wazeopedia page. Editors should consider using the Lane Tools script to assist in mapping lanes correctly.
In California, we use a "common sense" approach to guidance, thus deviating slightly from national guidance. Lanes should be mapped for major intersections where the number of turn lanes deviates from what is expected. In other words, do not map Lane Guidance if you can turn right only from the far right lane and/or you can turn left only from the far left lane (as specified by California law), regardless of whether these lanes are dedicated turn lanes or shared lanes. This results in "common sense" guidance, reducing unnecessary voice prompts from the app for trivial instructions. Most of the time, the user is only prompted with lane guidance when something unusual or complex is approaching, requiring heightened attention, and guidance prompts retain their value instead of becoming part of the background noise.
Intersections where you should map Lanes*:
- Intersections that have two or more lanes to turn left or right.
- Complex intersections where clarification of which road to take is necessary
- In a # or H junction where there is a U-Turn, even if there is only a single left turn lane. The addition of Lanes to these intersections combined with lane heuristics enables Waze to announce a
U-Turn, rather than aTurn Left, Turn Left.- Verify that the first and third segments are almost parallel (i.e. sum of angles with the cross segment should be between 175° and 185°), and the angle with the cross segment should be close to 90°.
- Check that there is not a parallel segment within 50m (165 ft) to the left of the segment with a single perpendicular segment connecting them. Waze heuristics could interpret that to be a U-Turn. Use a Junction Node to "break up" the median segment, and add a map comment close by to indicate why the junction is there. Put in a picture of Clarie Drive in Pleasant Hill https://www.waze.com/en-US/editor/?env=usa&lon=-122.05663&lat=37.94113&zoom=8&segments=522544024,522544023
- Use the
View and HearorView Onlycontinue straight overrides where necessary
* Before mapping Lanes at any intersection, review prior intersections to ensure adding Lanes at that intersection do not inadvertently cause confusion for the driver (see Compound Guidance needed section below).
Special Considerations
At-Grade Connectors
When reviewing intersections prior to adding Lanes, please consider whether AGCs are still needed at that intersection.
For example, the AGC from westbound Walsh Avenue to northbound San Tomas Expressway is not needed. The island is extremely small. The benefits that the AGC was originally meant for, such as advanced announcement of the turn, are not needed.
What should be done in this situation?
- Remove the AGC and any excess Junction Nodes
- Adjust Turn Restrictions as necessary to compensate for the removed AGC
- Add Lanes, if needed
Compound Guidance needed
Compound guidance is the concept whereby a driver should be directed to a specific lane or set of lanes at a prior intersection to ensure that the driver is in position to perform the subsequent turn maneuver. Unfortunately, Waze does not yet support compound guidance.
Note that some of the following is expected to change with upcoming enhancements to the WME. Check back here if and when those changes occur.
Lane specific guidance
There are intersections where users should be guided to the proper lane in preparation for the next maneuver.
Consider a driver going from Crow Canyon Place to I-680 North. There are 2 left turn lanes on Crow Canyon Place. An editor following lane mapping guidance would map that intersection with 2 left turns. A driver unfamiliar with that area could potentially be using the left lane of the 2 left turn lanes to turn into the left lanes on Crow Canyon Road and not be able to enter the on-ramp to I-680 North, if there is a lot of traffic blocking the movement to the right lanes in the short distance available.
Picture here (not uploaded to Wazeopedia yet): '
In order to properly guide the driver, some sort of compound guidance such as Use the right of the two left turn lanes to turn left and then turn right to I-680 North Sacramento would be ideal.
Loss and re-gain of lane between 2 intersections
There are intersections where a lane is lost to a dedicated turn lane, and yet, by the next intersection, a lane is re-added. A driver following the lane guidance could mistakenly enter the dedicated turn lane prematurely and may be forced to take the earlier turn.
Consider a driver on Mission Boulevard being guided to northbound I-680. There are 3 full lanes at the on-ramp to northbound I-680 with the right lane dedicated to the freeway entrance.
Picture here (not uploaded to Wazeopedia yet): '
At the prior on-ramp to southbound I-680, there are also 3 full lanes at the on-ramp with the right lane dedicated to the freeway entrance.
Picture here (not uploaded to Wazeopedia yet): '
Note that since Lane Guidance is announced about ½ mile prior to the turn instruction on MH roadways (and ¼ mile for mH and lower), the driver would hear In ½ mile, use the right lane to turn right to I-680 North toward Sacramento at around Warm Springs Boulevard, which is 2 signaled intersections prior to the entrance to northbound I-680. There is no signage that the right lane ends until you are almost at the entrance to southbound I-680. A driver unfamiliar with the area, upon seeing or hearing the guidance, would get into the right lane. By the time the driver realizes that the lane is a dedicated lane to I-680 South, not North, there isn't much distance left to change lanes, especially when there is a lot of traffic in the next lane.
Picture here (not uploaded to Wazeopedia yet): '
In order to properly guide the driver, there are a few possibilities. Waze could delay announcing the Turn instruction to northbound I-680 until the driver is past the entrance to southbound I-680. A more ideal solution would be for Waze to announce In ½ mile, stay in the middle lane and then turn right to I-680 North Sacramento. Note from tm - this final paragraph could be confusing and I'd like to consider removing it.
What should be done in these situations?
- Lanes should not be mapped at such intersections
- Place a Map Comment so that future editors can locate these locations if Waze enhances the Lane Guidance feature to make mapping these locations possible. Adding a Map Comment could be used as a notification to current editors that the intersection has been reviewed and Lane Guidance should not be added until such time these enhancements are available.