Pennsylvania: Difference between revisions View history

(Added guidance for naming fire departments in Pennsylvania.)
 
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Information related to using Waze in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
{{:USA/CommonState|Naming Fire Departments=Fire Departments exist as agencies and can have identifiers such as stations or equipment. When naming a fire department, use the following format:


== Cities and Towns ==
Name - Identifier (if applicable)
In WME, every segment of every Street, Primary Street, Private Road and Minor Highway should have a city name applied to it. Major Highways should have a city name applied to all segments that also have street addresses, other segments are optional. City names on Parking Lots, Railroads, Walking Trails, etc. are nice, but not required.
Examples: Reading Fire Department - Engine 3 & Ladder 1


City names are not required on Freeways and Ramps and may interfere with navigation instructions at ramp interchanges on all highway types. Only place city names on highway segments junctioned with ramps, or on ramps, if you know how to avoid the navigation problems. 
Only append with an identifier if the department has multiple stations or noted equipment.}}<!--
 
---- Do not edit this page directly.  
The only city name that should be applied to a segment is the incorporated municipal name or the official 2010 Census Designated Place (CDP) name. Do not use other unincorporated names such as villages or neighborhoods. Do not use Postal names or areas.
---- Do not edit the [[USA/CommonState]] template without consensus from the other
 
---- state and country managers.
See [http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdPlanRes.nsf/PlanningAndResearchHomePage?OpenFrameSet&Frame=main&Src=%2FInternet%2FBureaus%2FpdPlanRes.nsf%2FinfoBPRTownshipandBoroughMaps%3FOpenForm%26AutoFramed PennDOT's municipal maps] for incorporated city borders and proper naming information. For city maps that are missing from this list, you may be able to get the information you need from [http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdPlanRes.nsf/infoBPRCartoCountyType10 PennDOT's County Maps] or by visiting that city's GIS website. CDP outlines and names for Pennsylvania [http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/2010ref/st42_tract.html  are found here.]
----
 
---- To modify this page, click the "discussion tab" above. From there, use the section
If a road runs on a border, according to Waze statements, the other city should be in the alternate name field to support future address searches.
---- ''Editing custom sections''. It has links to edit each section. If you do not
 
---- see that section, then go to the main page, scroll to the bottom, and press
If a road segment runs across a border, it should be split with a junction on the border if there should be house numbers applied within each city. This will support future address search. Otherwise apply the city name that makes the most sense, or none at all for highways.
---- the link that creates that section, and then use it.
 
----
See [[Duplicate_cities | Duplicate Cities]] for information on resolving the numerous conflicting city names in Pennsylvania. When a municipality has the same name and city type (i.e. Borough, Township, City), append the county after the city name in the format <b>Cityname, Countyname</b>. This is based on a recommendation by Waze for future database organization.
---- This page is copied to new pages with only the following code placed on the
 
---- page and then saved:
== Standard Abbreviations ==
----
When naming roads or Ramps, use <b>Penna</b> as the abbreviation for Pennsylvania. <b>Penn</b> causes Text to Speech conflicts with the numerous items named after William Penn. <b>PA</b> should not be used except as shown below.
{{subst::USA/CommonState/Start}}
 
----
<b>Penna Tpk</B> is the proper abbreviation for naming ramps and alternate names for the Turnpike.
---- Alternately copy and paste this code below into the browser. Change the STATENAME at the end of the line to the name of the state or territory being created. Use the name as spelled in the [[Template:USA_Navbox]]
 
----
== Major Roads ==
https://wiki.waze.com/wiki/index.php?action=submit&summary=Create%20new%20state&preload=USA/CommonState/Start&preview=yes&title=STATENAME
See [[Road naming by state]], [[Road Naming (USA)]], [[Road Types (USA)]]
-->
 
=== Freeways ===
<b>Interstates, US Highways, and State Routes</b> that meet the general standards for Interstates should be should have the <b>[[Road Types (USA)#Freeway|Freeway]]</b> Road Type applied to them in the editor.
 
 
=== US Routes ===
<b>US Highways</b> that don't meet [[Road Types (USA)#Freeway|interstate standards]] should have the <b>[[Road Types (USA)#Major Highway|Major]]</b> or <b>[[Road Types (USA)#Minor Highway|Minor]]</b> road type applied to them.
 
US Highway names should use the following format:
*Keep local names as primary (e.g. Wyoming Ave)
*Put the route number in the alternate name field
**US-22 W (Split "1-way" segments)
**US-11 (Un-split "2-way" segments)
 
===  State Routes with Three-Digit Route Numbers ===
In Pennsylvania all State Routes with three-digit (or less) route numbers should be minor highways or higher. They should have any common name as displayed on street signs as the primary name in WME and the route number in the alternate field. The format <b>State Rte 111</b> is currently the recommended format but <b>PA-111</b> is also acceptable until Waze announces how shield generation for state roads will work. Do not alter route numbers if they are currently in one of the acceptable formats. <b>State Hwy</b> and variations should not be used unless it is on the road signs.
 
State Routes should follow the following format:
*State Rte 28 S <i>or</i> PA-28 S (Split "1-way" segments)
*State Rte 309 <i>or</i> PA-309 (Un-split "2-way" segments)
 
<b>Note:</b> Some state routes have mixed signage, with route numbers at major intersections and road names at minor intersections. Until Waze gets state shields working, the best practice is to name the segments according the the signage that the motorist will see as he approaches the state route, with priority given to the major intersections.
 
==== Shortened Names ====
: The use of '''SR-xxx''' (meaning State Route, but used for both routes and highways) format instead of <i>State Rte xxx</i> format should only be used when naming exits. (e.g. Exit to SR-28 S / Pittsburgh) - Also see: [[#Ramps|Ramps]]
 
===  State Routes with Four-Digit Route Numbers ===
Most state routes with four digit route numbers should be Primary Streets, with the  exceptions shown below. There is no need for the route number in the alternate fields.
 
=== County or Township Roads ===
County roads and Township routes need no special designation or road type. Their route number info is not needed in the alternate field.
 
=== Primary Streets ===
[[Road Types (USA)#Primary Street|Primary Streets]] should connect two important things, for example:
*Two PA-xxx state highways, or higher
*PA-xxx highway (or higher) and a decent-sized town
*Key tourist or business destinations
Primary Streets should have the name on the street signs as the primary name in WME. PA-xxxx, SR-xxxx or State Rte xxxx should never be used, unless there is no other name for the road.
*Not every PA-xxxx route is Primary. Some just trail off into nothing. Other short ones connect two minor things, so they can be ignored.
*Primary Street should be improved roads with smooth grading and yellow center lines painted throughout.
*Multi-lane roads that don't meet the definition of Major, and are not Minor based on PA-xxx or US-xxx route designation, are almost always Primary Streets.
*In cities, sometimes it is obvious that the street department wants you to follow certain routes. Those should be made Primary.
Local knowledge should always be applied when designating Primary Streets. If you are not sure, try to drive it and see if it should be elevated above a regular street for our users.
 
=== Ramps ===
When naming [[Road Types (USA)#Ramps|Ramps]] to state routes, use the <b>SR-111</b> or the <b>PA-111</b> formats only. Match exactly what is on the big green sign directing you to the ramp. It is best to reference Google StreetView in WME, where available.
 
Follow the national standards for [[Road Naming (USA)#Exit ramps and Entrance ramps (on-ramps)|Exit ramps and Entrance ramps (on-ramps)]]
 
Briefly, Ramp names should follow the following format:
 
Off-ramps:
*Numbered Exit: (Exit 16: Scranton)
*Numbered Exit w/ Multiple Names or Routes: (Exit 260B: I-81 N / Wilkes-Barre / Scranton)
*Numbered Exit w/ Multiple Exits: (Exit 4A-B: SR-1 / SR-7 / SR-58 / Mall Rd / Dover)
*Non-Numbered Exit: (Exit to SR-28 S / Pittsburgh)
 
On-Ramps:
*to I-80 E
*to I-476 N
 
== Splitting/Un-Splitting Roads ==
 
Splitting & Un-Splitting a road should follow the national guidelines which can be found on the Best map editing practice page: [[Best map editing practice#When (Not) to Split a Two-Way Road|When & How to Split]] Also see: [[Best map editing practice#How to "Un-Split" two One-Way Roads|How to Un-Split a Road]]
 
== Special Roads ==
*[[Carpool, HOV, Transit lanes]]
*[[Creating and Editing a roundabout|Roundabouts/Traffic Circles]]
*[[Creating and Editing street segments#Fix the end-node on cul-de-sacs and dead-ends|Cul-de-sac's]]
*[[Road Types (USA)#Parking Lot Road|Parking Lot Roads]]
*[[Best map editing practice#Toll roads|Toll Roads]]
 
=== Alleys ===
*Alleys should always be mapped if they have a name.
*Alleys should always be mapped if they are the sole access to a home or business.
*Alleys should always be set to "Private Road"
*Alleys are normally mapped if they are acknowledged by the municipality.
If an alley does not meet the above criteria, mapping is optional. Leave the name field blank.
 
=== Non-Driveable Roads ===
Generally, if a path can't be driven on (e.g. Walking Trail, Pedestrian Boardwalk, Stairway, Runway/Taxiway) then it is not normally mapped. If it is mapped, it should not be connected to any roads. "Emergency and Authorized Vehicles Only" and PennDot Service Roads are to be treated as Non-Driveable roads as well. You will primarily see these between interstate roads and on the turnpike. If mapped, they too should not be connected to any road with the road type set as Private Road and locked at the highest level of the editor. This is due to the way the routing engine works, as Waze '''will''' route users to drive on these "Non-Driveable" road types.
 
It is permitted to map Railroads since some users run Waze while on the train and contributing false data to the system.  This false data has been known to effect drivers on adjacent roads. Railroads should be level -5 and locked at the highest level of the editor.
 
=== Time Restricted Turns ===
There is beta testing for setting Time Based Restricted turns in WME. Watch for announcements in the forum on this feature
 
== Road Closures & Construction Projects ==
When dealing with Road Closures or Major Construction please see the [http://www.waze.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=215&t=64574 Pennsylvania forum] for a list of '''long term''' road closures and changes to traffic flow that impact the Waze Map. When editing, in most cases you should disconnect these segments to prevent Waze from routing along a certain stretch of road. You should <i>NEVER</i> delete a road simply because of construction or a closure. If you perform such steps in WME, please add <b>CONST ZN</b> to the end of the Street Name and document it via the forum so other area managers can ensure the roads are reconnected at the appropriate time. You can also list them in the [[To_Do_-_Pennsylvania#Road_Closures.2FConstruction|Road Closures/Construction]]. <i>(May be out of date.)</i>
 
== Landmarks ==
Landmarks in Pennsylvania should follow the guidelines from the state of [[Connecticut_Landmarks | Connecticut]] until the national standards are complete.
 
== Speed / Red Light Cameras ==
Limited Red Light Cameras are legal in the State of Pennsylvania.
 
=== Speed Cameras ===
Not Legal in Pennsylvania and should not be mapped.
 
=== Red Light Cameras ===
Red light cameras are legal only in certain cites and suburban towns. Currently Philadelphia is the only city with cams. [http://www.waze.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=215&t=58088 Red Light Camera Laws in Pennsylvania]
 
=== Other Camera Types ===
These are cameras or signs that either provide driver feedback or are used for traffic control.  These devices '''CAN NOT''' issue tickets and should not be mapped. See: [[Cameras#Know your Cameras|How to Identify Cameras]]
 
== To Do List ==
Want to help out with the map in Pennsylvania?  Check out the [[To Do - Pennsylvania|To Do List]]. <i>(May be out of date.)</i>
:<b>NOTE:</b> You should always finish any work you start...Please do not leave it incomplete.
 
== Mapping Resources ==
[[Pennsylvania_mapping_resources | Pennsylvania Maps]]
 
Wiki Resources
 
*[[Best map editing practice]]
*[[Map_Editing_(new_Editor)#Editing Manual| Editing Manual]]
 
== Forum ==
[http://www.waze.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=129 USA section of Waze Forum]
 
[http://www.waze.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=215 Pennsylvania section of Waze Forum]
 
[https://www.waze.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=622 US Unlock and Update Requests section of Waze Forum]
 
== Area Managers ==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|- align="center"
! scope="col" width="100pt" bgcolor="#0080FF"|Username
! scope="col" width="200pt" bgcolor="#0080FF"|Area Managed
! scope="col" width="200pt" bgcolor="#0080FF"|Comments
! scope="col" width="50pt" bgcolor="#0080FF"|Forum PM
|- align="center" bgcolor="skyblue"
|- align="center" bgcolor="FE9A2E"
| [[User:jondrush|jondrush]] || Northeast Region Coordinator || Level 6 ||| [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&u=13337 PM]
 
|- align="center" bgcolor="skyblue"
| colspan="4" | '''Level 6 - Country Managers'''
|- align="center" bgcolor="white"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4255912 jhfrontz] ||T.B.D. || T.B.D || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=jhfrontz PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=8359316 orbitc] ||T.B.D. || T.B.D || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=orbitc PM]
|- align="center" bgcolor="skyblue"
| colspan="4" | '''Level 5 - Country Managers (Pennsylvania Based)'''
|- align="center" bgcolor="white"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=6094302 attheyard] ||T.B.D. || T.B.D || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=attheyard PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=5612188 bigbear3764] || Chicagoland, Lake,Cook,McHenry Co || || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&subject=WI%20Resource%20Wiki:&username=bigbear3764 PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=8756144 mpawlicki] ||T.B.D. || T.B.D || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=mpawlicki PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=43673 svance92] ||T.B.D. || T.B.D || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=svance92 PM]
 
 
|- align="center" bgcolor="skyblue"
| colspan="4" | '''Level 4 - Area Managers'''
|- align="center" bgcolor="white"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=8265375 fueltank] || Allegheny County || Pittsburgh || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=fueltank PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4659062 MGODLEW] ||<b>Allegheny</b>, Carbon, Columbia, <b>Luzerne</b>, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Montour, Monroe, Northumberland, Schuykill, Sullivan, & Wyoming County || Also editing areas close to US-22, I-99, I-80W & SR-28 || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=MGODLEW PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=11269522 PhantomSoul] ||Bucks & Northampton County || Primarily Central New Jersey || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=PhantomSoul PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=13837 rleejr79] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=rleejr79 PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=468257 tibble] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=tibble PM]
 
 
|- align="center" bgcolor="skyblue"
| colspan="4" | '''Level 3 - Area Managers'''
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3968439 CptCranky] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=CptCranky PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=9142990 dmiller1984] || DuPage and Kendall Co ||  || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=dmiller1984 PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=9234341 hickpop] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=hickpop PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3564502 KMart27] || Dauphin & Lancaster County || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=KMart27 PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=11896030 LeoKantus] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=LeoKantus PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=10410135 letukka] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=letukka PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=7416392 MarkInMd] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=MarkInMd PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=7342833 mreich00] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=mreich00 PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=9789549 nepahxc] || Wayne & Lackawanna County || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=nepahxc PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=6232528 NevynPA] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=NevynPA PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3478852 PhillyRace] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=PhillyRace PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=11976299 regsv] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=regsv PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3170275 steelsandals] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=steelsandals PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=28860 steinbdj] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=steinbdj PM]
|- align="center"
| [http://www.waze.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1898245 yrrabsille] || T.B.D. || T.B.D. || [http://www.waze.com/forum/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&username=yrrabsille PM]
|}
 
If you are an [[:Area_Manager | Area Manager]] that covers the State of Pennsylvania, or a USA Country Manager that does a lot of work in Pennsylvania, please add yourself to this list (alphabetical by username).
 
[[Category:USA]] [[Category:Pennsylvania]]

Latest revision as of 13:31, 12 February 2020

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This page serves as the primary resource for editors of Pennsylvania. Review all the sections to better understand how the guidelines for this state might deviate from the overall USA or worldwide guidelines. If you have any comments or questions about this page or state refer to the community links below.

If you think any changes are needed on this page, please discuss them at: Pennsylvania Wiki Page Discussion


Introduction

Pennsylvania is a part of the Northeast region, which includes the states and/or territories of:

Delaware / New Jersey / New York / Pennsylvania.

Current Issues in Pennsylvania

Places with addresses damaged by City Merge
Get WME City Merge Place Address Fixer. Enable this Tampermonkey script and click on a place that looks like it has no address. If the script can get that street and city name from the smae place the app gets it from, it will. Otherwise, it will let you know. Either way, double check before you save. For more information, please see Addresses damaged by City Merge



Mapping resources

Before editing the maps in Pennsylvania, be sure to fully review and understand the editing manual.

The Waze user community follows the Waze etiquette guidelines discussed in the Wiki. Be sure to familiarize yourself with these guiding principals while editing the maps and this Wiki, as well as when communicating with other Waze users.

Map Editing Resources

Tip: Editors are strongly encouraged to download & install the WME Toolbox & Waze Validator Plugins. These are VERY helpful tools for identifying problems and even offers advice how to fix them.


Community

The Waze forum is a great place to find answers to previously asked questions and also a place to ask new ones. Below are links to the forums specific to Pennsylvania.

Area Managers for Pennsylvania can be found in the table below.

New editors should consider checking into the formal mentoring program available at no charge.

Many Pennsylvania editors use Discord to share information and chat. If you are editing or plan to edit in PA, please join the Northeast Discord Server listed below.


Update Requests


Pennsylvania follows the Northeast Region (NOR) standard for addressing URs.


Cities and towns

One of the most common errors when editing the maps is when an editor creates a road and does not confirm the road by setting the city and road name (or stating it has none).

Duplicate cities can be caused by incorrectly named segments and should be corrected following the guidelines in the duplicate cities article.

City names on segments are used for two things:

  • to generate the city names you see on the map
  • to find a destination when you enter an address into the waze app.

Every segment in Pennsylvania is located within a city, borough, or township, so every segment of every Minor Highway, Primary Street, Street, Private Road, Parking Lot Road, and Dirt Road/4x4 Trail should have a city name applied to it.  Major Highways  should have a city name applied to all segments that also have street addresses. City names are not required on Freeways and Ramps. Railroads should have the "none" box checked for city.

If you think you have found a place that needs an exception to the rules below, please contact a Pennsylvania state manager.

City, borough, or township?

  1. If the segment is within a city or borough, use the name of the city or borough
  2. If the segment is not within a city or borough, but within a Census Designated Place (CDP) that is used as though it were a town name by the businesses and residents then use the CDP name. This means that the CDP name does not appear only in mailing addresses (many CDP names are identical to post office names), but is used in the names of businesses, schools, religious centers, as in "Exton Square Mall"
  3. If the segment does not satisfy the rules above, then use the township name.
  4. If the segment runs along the border of two different city names, then use one in the primary city name and one as the alternate. Example: Street Rd, Willistown, with alternate name Street Rd, Thornbury.
  5. Where a segment crosses a city boundary, make sure there is a junction at the border, and that each segment gets the correct city name or names.
  6. Do NOT use Post Office names that don't match an official township, boro, or CDP in the segment primary address. Do not use names of villages, neighborhoods, or other unincorporated places in the primary address.
  7. If the above rules do not resolve address search issues, talk to a state manager about use of alternate name(s).
  8. The above rules should take care of all segments in the state.

Names and duplicate names

  1. When a borough and a township have the same name, append "Twp" to the township name.
    A road that forms the border of two cities
    Whenever possible, just use the name of the city, borough, or township, with nothing added. Example: "East Goshen" for East Goshen Township
  2. If there are a borough and township of the same name in the same county, then append "Twp" to the township name and "Boro" to the borough name For example: Tionesta township surrounds Tionesta borough. In this case, use "Tionesta Boro" for the borough and "Tionesta Twp" for the township.
    • If there is a city of the same name as a township or borough in the same county, use "Twp" or "Boro" for the township or borough, and no designation of City (Examples: "Bethlehem", "Bethlehem Twp" both in Northampton county; "Chester" and "Chester Twp", both in Delaware County)
  3. If the same name is used in several different counties for the same type of municipal subdivision, add a comma followed by the county name in every county.
  4. If there are a township and a borough of the same name in the same county, use "Twp" and "Boro" (see above) in addition to the county name
    • If the county name is identical to the city name, leave off the county name (Example: The city of "Washington", in Washington County. The 22 Washington townships in the other counties get the county name appended)
    • If the county name is "Delaware", leave off the county name
  5. If there is a township in one county and a borough in another county, the county names are enough to distinguish them (Example: "Hanover, Northampton", "Hanover, Lehigh", "Hanover, York")
  6. If the city name itself includes the word "City" or "Boro", this is not considered a duplicate of a city without this string in the name. (Examples: "Broad Top City" - borough, Huntingdon and "Broad Top" - township, Bedford; "Washington Boro", a CDP in Lancaster County, not a duplicate name of the other 23 Washingtons in PA)

More Information

You can learn more about what a CDP is, see a list of Census Designated Place names, and read more about Duplicate cities. See Mapping Resources for more information about municipal and CDP maps.


Major roads

Pennsylvania follows the general road naming and road type guidelines of the USA.

The Functional Classification chart shown below has been modified from the national chart to more closely reflect the roads in Pennsylvania.

Functional Classification reference chart

Use this chart to determine the road type for Pennsylvania roads based on the functional class.

First, find the functional class of the road in the MPMS IQ map in the operational layers and determine if it is a signed, numbered highway in one of the highway systems.

Follow the column for the road's highway system down to the row for the road's functional class to find the proper road type for that particular road.

The PennDOT color coding is cross-referenced in the first column of the table for your convenience.


Highway Systems
Interstate Interstate Business, Loop, Spur US Hwy (incl. some special routes) US Hwy BUS, SPUR, LOOP State Route Shielded State Route Unshielded Locally Maintained
Examples I-80 I-94 Business US-190 US-460 Business SR-23 SR-309 SR-2006 Roberts St
F
u
n
c
t
i
o
n
a
l

C
l
a
s
s
Interstate
 Fw  n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Other Freeway[a] n/a  Fw   Fw   Fw   Fw   Fw   Fw 
Other Expressway[a] n/a  Major   Major   Major   Major   Major   Major 
Other Principal Arterial n/a  Major   Major   Major   Major   Major   Major 
Minor Arterial n/a  Major   Major   Minor   Minor   Minor [c]  Minor [c]
Urban or Rural-Major Collector n/a  Major   Major   Minor   Minor   PS   PS 
Rural Minor Collector

n/a  Major   Major   Minor   Minor   PS [b]
 Street 
 Street 
Local Roads or
Not Classified
n/a  Major   Major   Minor   Minor   PS [b]
 Street 
 Street 

^a Since Pennsylvania combines these two classes, use the criteria from the Freeway page to determine if the road should typed as a freeway or major highway.

^b Some 4-digit State Routes are numbered for legacy or maintenance reasons, but they do not serve as primary thoroughfares for the area and should be classified as  Street .

^c These two categories were changed from  PS  to  Minor  per PA Forum discussion November 2017.

Naming

State routes with 2 or 3 digit route numbers

In Pennsylvania all State Routes should have any common name as displayed on street signs as the primary name in WME, and the route number in the alternate name field. The city name should be the same for both the common name and route number. SR-111 is the current acceptable format. The use of State Hwy or PA-xxx and other variations should not be used unless it is on the road signs that drivers would see.

State Route naming should follow the following format:

  • SR-28 S (divided one-way segments).
  • SR-309 (undivided two-way segments).

Note: Some state routes have mixed signage, with route numbers at major intersections and road names at minor intersections. Until Waze gets state shields working completely, the best practice is to name the segments according the the signage that the motorist will see as he approaches the state route, with priority given to the major intersections.

State routes with 4 digit route numbers

State Routes with 4 digits (e.g. SR-3001) may have the route number in the alternate field ONLY if it has been verified and deemed useful for identifying roads named in PennDOT notices. Note that PennDOT may re-use the same 4-digit numbers in unrelated roads in many different counties.

County or township roads

County (Co) and Township (T) roads need no special designation or road type. Road number info is not needed in the alternate name field.

Ramps

When naming a Ramp to a State Route, use the SR-111 format. PA-111 format should not be used unless it matches exactly what is on the big green sign directing you to the ramp. It is best to reference Google Street View in WME, where available.

Adhere to national standards for Exit ramps and Entrance ramps (on-ramps). Ramp names should use these formats:

Off-ramps:

  • Numbered exit: (Exit 16: SR-15 / Scranton)
  • Numbered exit with multiple Cities or Routes: (Exit 16: SR-15 N / SR-86 E / Wilkes / Scranton)
  • Numbered exit with multiple exits: (Exit 16A-B: SR-15 N / SR-86 E / Scranton)
  • Non-numbered exit: (to SR-15 / Scranton)

Abbreviating Pennsylvania

When naming roads or Ramps, use Penna. as the abbreviation for Pennsylvania. Penn causes text-to-speech conflicts with the numerous items named after William Penn. PA should not be used except as shown below.

Penna. Tpk is the proper abbreviation for naming ramps, and for alternate names for the Turnpike.

Shortened state route names

The format SR-xxx (State Route) should be used when naming ramps (e.g., to SR-28 S / Pittsburgh). See also: Ramps. To maintain uniformity across the state, the PA-xxx format should not be used unless it is on the road signs that drivers would see.

Locking Standard

In Pennsylvania we have a set minimum standard for locking roads based on segment type. Any road of a certain segment type must be locked at least to the rank (level) in the chart below. Roads may be locked higher for protection and special situations (areas with construction, tricky design, frequent mistakes, imaging inaccuracies, and the like), but should not be locked lower.

A great time to implement these locks is while bringing the road types of an area into compliance with the current US road type standards (FC and highway systems). Lock the roads based on type after they've been set to current US road type standards.

Pennsylvania Minimum Locking Rank Standard
Segment Type Statewide
 Freeway  5
 Ramp  Highest rank of connected segments
 Major Highway  3
 Minor Highway  3
 Primary Street  1 (Auto)
 Street  1 (Auto)
 Private Road  1 (Auto)
 • • • • Ferry • • • •   5
 |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Railroad |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|  2

Note: Do Not Mass Edit just to update locks to these standards, these can be adjusted as you find them while editing other aspects of the segments such as FC, speed limits, naming, etc.

Some segments still warrant higher locks and care should be taken when setting segment lock to these standards to look for and protect these special setups with higher locks. Some examples; segments which are part of BDP, U-turn prevention, or using micro-doglegs, or other complex intersection setups.

Speed Limits

Pennsylvania follows the national guideline for speed limits, with a few exceptions listed below.

Pennsylvania guidelines

  • When a speed limit changes at an intersection, the sign for the new speed zone can be found up to 200 feet after the intersection.[1] If the speed limit changes more than 200' from the intersection, add a junction at the sign and make the speed limit change there.
  • Long term work zone speed limits may be mapped instead of the "ordinary time" speed limits.
  • Speed limit signs are supposed to be posted on every street, no further than 1/2 mile apart.[2]. If you can verify that there are no posted signs, follow the PA guidelines:[3]
    • 35 miles per hour in any urban district.
    • 25 miles per hour in a residence district (unless it is a numbered route classified as a local highway)
    • 55 miles per hour in other locations.

Summary of National Guidelines

Regulatory
Yes

Advisory
No
  • Only map speeds found on regulatory white rectangular signs with black lettering.
  • Do not map advisory speed limits (generally an orange or amber rectangular sign with black lettering).
  • Where there are variable speed limits, map only the speed limit which is in effect most of the time during daylight hours (most hours of the day, days of the week).
  • Do not map special speed limits for special vehicles. Waze only supports speed limits for private passenger cars.
  • Where the speed limit changes, make it change in the map. A new junction may need to be added. But do not add a new junction for a speed limit if it will be within 200 feet of an existing junction.

PA Speed Limit Resources

Links to PA speed limit laws
  1. PA Title 67 PA Title 67, 212.108 (e) If the new speed limit begins at an intersection, the first sign should be installed within 200 feet beyond the intersection.
  2. PA Title 75 The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code (Title 75), §3362 indicates that speed limit signing must be in accordance with Department regulations to include “…posting at the beginning and end of each speed zone and at intervals not greater than one-half mile”. In addition, the installation of speed limit signing will function as a constant reminder of the roadway’s speed limit. "
  3. PA Title 7575.3362


Special roads

Drivable roads

Pennsylvania follows the standard USA guidelines for all of the following special road types.

Non-drivable roads

Review the Wiki guidelines for non-drivable roads to ensure compliance with the general guidelines.


Alleys

An alley should be mapped if:

  • An alley should be mapped if it is named.
  • An alley should be mapped if it is the address of a home or business.
  • An alley is normally mapped if it is acknowledged by the municipality.

If an alley does not meet the above criteria, mapping is discouraged unless it solves a navigation issue. Check the "No name" box in WME if it has no name.

  • If mapped, an alley should always be set to type "Private Road".


Non-drivable roads

Review the Wiki guidelines for "non-drivable" road types to ensure compliance with the general guidelines.

"Emergency and Authorized Vehicles Only" and PennDOT Service Roads are to be treated as non-drivable roads as well. You primarily see these between interstate freeway lanes and on the Turnpike. These should not be mapped and should be removed if found since they do not benefit users.

Railroads may be mapped since some people use Waze while on the train, contributing false traffic data to the system. This false data has been known to affect drivers on adjacent roads.

  • AS OF OCTOBER 2014: Railroads can be junctioned with a driveable road segment as per the Road types Wiki entry. This will allow for Waze to collect more accurate historical data and better determine if there are delays at the railroad crossing at various times of the day. There is no need for mass editing of railroads, but these changes can be made as encountered on the map. The elevation should be set to 'Ground'. If a railroad is junctioned with a driveable road segment, all turns should be restricted for the junction to and from the railroad segments. If an automated Map Problem (MP) is seen at a railroad junction with the turns restricted, mark it as "Not identified."

Time restricted turns

The Waze Map Editor and routing engine supports scheduled restrictions (time of day, day of week, turns, traffic flow direction, vehicle type, etc.).

Please see the Scheduled Restrictions page for full documentation on this feature.


Closures

When managing a section of roadway under construction or being closed for a major event, follow the Wiki guidelines on construction zones and Real time closures.

For information about Closures from Penndot, please click on your Penndot engineering district and then on roadwork PennDOT Engineering districts

The 511PA website is also a good source of information about current closures.

Pennsylvania should follow the US Standard for Road Closures or Major/Long Term Construction projects. Please see the US Construction Zones & Road Closure Wiki for information regarding closing & flagging roads in the editor that are under construction or closed.


Places

Pennsylvania follows the USA standard for Places. Do not deviate from the guidelines without first obtaining consensus to do so via the state forum linked on this page.

Editors are encouraged to use the Place Harmonizer script "WMEPH" when editing places, this will help you follow state + national standards. Use caution with the automatic options and be aware of what it is changing.

Any editor may edit any place in their EA. If it is locked above their rank a PUR will be generated for a senior editor to review and approve.

Pennsylvania standards for places differ in some ways from the US standard:

Locking:
Once you have correctly filled in as as much information as is available, Places should be locked to a minimum level of Rank 2. This prevents "trusted Wazers" who are not editors from automatically adding photos to places.
These areas below are more sensitive + important to Wazers and should be locked higher, reach out to a senior editor if needed for assistance in locking new places:
Lock at 3:
  • College / University
  • Courthouse
  • Government
  • Jail / Prison / Correctional Facility
  • Military
  • Parking Lot
Lock at 4:
  • EV Charging Station
  • Fire Department
  • Gas station
  • Hospital / Urgent Care
  • Park
  • Police Station
Lock at 5:
  • Airport
Address
Fill out address information completely, this is not used for navigation, it is informational-only but is important for the Waze user.
For the City field, consider what the business uses on their website and what will make the most sense to the Waze user. You can use the city name from a nearby road, or use an other local city or CDP name that WME offers as an auto-complete.
R4+ editors, do NOT create a "new" city name, check with a State Manager if you feel none of the names is sufficient since creating a "new" City makes that available to other editors for roads too.
Naming Fire Departments
Fire Departments exist as agencies and can have identifiers such as stations or equipment. When naming a fire department, use the following format:
Name - Identifier (if applicable)
Examples: Reading Fire Department - Engine 3 & Ladder 1
Only append with an identifier if the department has multiple stations or noted equipment.


Cameras

Not every camera-looking device at an intersection is a speed or red light camera. Generally speaking:

  • a speed camera takes a photograph of a vehicle when it passes by the camera at too high a speed.
  • a red light camera takes a photograph of a vehicle that enters an intersection after the light is red. In some areas, it takes the photograph when a vehicle is not clear of the intersection some period after the light turns red.

Be sure to know your cameras before accepting new camera reports.

When adding a camera, be sure to review the camera placement recommendations.

Laws regarding speed and red light cameras vary between the states and territories, so be sure to understand the details of camera legality in Pennsylvania.

Limited Red Light Cameras are legal in Pennsylvania.

Red light cameras

Red light cameras are legal in a few cites and suburban towns in Pennsylvania. The following cities & municipalities are the only places where the use of Red Light Cameras are permitted at this time. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and municipalities with a population >20,000 and police departments accredited by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties & have a local ordinance permitting the use of Red Light Enforcement Cameras. See Red Light Camera Laws in Pennsylvania

As of October 2014, red light cameras are in service at the following intersections:

Speed cameras

As of October 2018, Gov. Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 172 permitting PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to deploy speed cameras in some work zones that will take photos of license plates of any vehicle exceeding the work zone speed limit by 11 mph or more when workers are present.[1]

Other camera types

These are cameras or signs that either provide driver feedback or are used for traffic control. These devices CANNOT issue tickets and should not be approved in WME. See How to Identify Cameras.


To do list

Many states and territories keep an active list of pending or closed actions that need to be done in the state by the editors. All editors are welcome to contribute to the list of activities.

Want to help out with the map in Pennsylvania? Check out the Pennsylvania Forum

NOTE: You should always finish any work you start... Please do not leave it incomplete.


Area Managers

The table below identifies the editors also designated as Area Managers or higher who are editing in Pennsylvania. If you have any questions, please consider contacting them directly as needed. If you are an Area Manager that covers Pennsylvania, or a USA Country Manager that does a lot of work in Pennsylvania, please add yourself to this list (alphabetical by username) in the correct rank section.

The editor who also serves as the Regional Coordinator for Pennsylvania is automatically listed at the top of the table. That editor may not be highly active in this state and therefore may not be listed separately in the table.


This map shows assigned managed areas in the state. If any editors have been inadvertently omitted contact one of the SMs. Those editors whose area covers the entire state are not shown.

:

Pennsylvania — Area, State, Country Managers, and Regional Coordinators
Regional Coordinator(s):
[RC] orbitc (PM [Help])  
[ARC1] PhantomSoul (PM [Help])  
[ARC2] RussPA (PM [Help])  
Username Area Managed Comments
Country Managers (Northeast region)
(Add to or edit Country and State sections of table)
orbitc(6) [PM [Help]] 
  Orbit C
Entire State of PA, also NY, NJ, DE, CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
Region 9 Northeast & 8 New England
PhantomSoul(6) [PM [Help]] 
G
  George
NOR ARC, USA (Local Champ)
Resident of NJ
RussPA(6) [PM [Help]] 
  Russ Weissman
NOR ARC, USA (Global Champ), PA State Manager
whoaitspete(6) [PM [Help]]  USA Local Champ / NY SM
SanzClew(6) [PM [Help]]  USA Country Manager, SM for MA/RI
Lives in MA, Grew up in SEPA
DrNeubie(5) [PM [Help]]  USA Country Manager / LC Emeritus
jondrush(5) [PM [Help]]  Global Champ Emeritus
Resident of state
Kodi75(5) [PM [Help]] 
D
  David T
USA Country Manager
MD State Manager
MGODLEW(5) [PM [Help]] 
M
  Matt
USA Country Manager / LC Emeritus
Resident of state, Most active near Scranton & Pittsburgh
Doctorblah(5) [PM [Help]] 
K
  Keith
USA Country Manager NOR
PA State Manager
sikemever(5) [PM [Help]] 
M
  Mike
USA Country Manager NOR
MAR LAM
phuz(5) [PM [Help]] 
M
  Matt
USA Country Manager NOR
State Managers (Northeast region)
ehcool68(5) [PM [Help]] 
E
  Eric
Multi-State Manager NOR
Lives in SE PA
G_W1Z(5) [PM [Help]] 
V
  Vince
PA State Manager
AM in Washington DC and Maine
Drummin4JC(4) [PM [Help]] 
  Adam
PA State Manager
DE AM
Area Managers
(Add to or edit this section)
dhschneider(5) [PM [Help]] 
D
  dhschneider
Area Manager
Eastern Pennsylvania
Happy_Lyn(5) [PM [Help]] 
  Lyn
Area Manager in Cameron, Elk, McKean, and Potter counties
SM in Michigan, LAM in West Virginia
Jdelosa(5) [PM [Help]] 
  John ( JD )
NOR Multi-State Manager, NYC Closure Team
no1uknow(5) [PM [Help]] 
A
  Aaron
All of Pennsylvania
HillsSnackBar(4) [PM [Help]] 
  Zach
Large Area Manager (LAM)
Editor in Southwestern PA, Resident of PA. Also AM in parts of WV and FL.
Hobbz1701(4) [PM [Help]] 
R
  Ron
Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lehigh
Resident of PA
Dskwared(3) [PM [Help]] 
D
  Doug
Area Manager (AM) Altoona, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
JDTech4U(3) [PM [Help]] 
I
  Ike
Western PA
RRM47(3) [PM [Help]] 
R
  RRM47
Philadelphia area, primarily Chester County
Resident of PA
smitty15(3) [PM [Help]] 
T
  Todd Smith
Central Pa, Montour & Columbia counties
steviejaydriver(3) [PM [Help]]  Central Pa, Montour & Columbia counties
tckma(3) [PM [Help]] 
T
  Tom
Southern portions of Adams and York Counties
Resident of MD near PA line. I currently work in King of Prussia (long story) so also edit in Montgomery and Chester counties.
tp8106(3) [PM [Help]] 
N
  Nate
Central PA
voludu2(3) [PM [Help]]  All of Pennsylvania
XC_Runner18(3) [PM [Help]] 
N
  Noah
Delaware, Montgomery PA, Pittsburg Area


The following editors are also editing in the state and may be working towards an Area Manager position. Feel free to contact them for assistance in their respective areas.

Other Area Editors (Add to or edit this section)
Username General Editing Area Comments
fuji2086(5) [PM [Help]] 
J
  Jason
SW Pennsylvania MAR Multi-State Manager
eaglestailg8ter(4) [PM [Help]] 
  Robert M
JimBobNinja06(4) [PM [Help]]  Central PA - Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin,and York Counties, AM in NY and North & Central AL
Adams Co. resident
kmart27(4) [PM [Help]] 
K
  Kenton M
krzycholub(5) [PM [Help]] 
K
  krzycholub
East Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono NJ SM
MTBSpeedy(4) [PM [Help]] 
M
  Michael Berry
Westmoreland County
Odessit68(4) [PM [Help]] 
  Alex Dreyzin
APettyJ(3) [PM [Help]] 
A
  Alan P
Philadelphia
cshinn89(3) [PM [Help]] 
  Christopher
Pike county PA, northern NJ, & Orange county NY
Thailand RM. Former NJ Resident and Currently living in PA
eichmat(3) [PM [Help]]  Lehigh Valley (Lehigh & Northampton Counties)
LookBothWaaze(3) [PM [Help]]  Lancaster, Berks
mphinneb(3) [PM [Help]] 
M
  Matt
Pittsburgh area
Phlipnull(3) [PM [Help]] 
M
  Matt Phillips
Adams County and surrounding
roarlions1(3) [PM [Help]] 
  roarlions1
Bucks/Montgomery/Schuylkill/Columbia/Luzerne Counties
Britton28(2) [PM [Help]]  Pittsburg - Erie
Bruh924(2) [PM [Help]]  SE Pa
DaWeatherBoy(2) [PM [Help]]  Union & Snyder Co
RoadRunnerPA(2) [PM [Help]] 
D
  Doug
Bucks + Lehigh Co
Ynpmoose(2) [PM [Help]]  Berks, SE PA Northern Berks Resident
JLofties(2) [PM [Help]]  PennDOT D8 & D5 York Co Resident
CranMalReign(2) [PM [Help]]  SE PA, some SW and NW PA Retired? Last edit Mar 2020
iPatric(1) [PM [Help]]  Scranton PA New to editing AUG 2022
Wlbaird(1) [PM [Help]]  York Co
ArcadeDrive(1) [PM [Help]]  Pittsburgh, Westmoreland County Retired? Last edit Aug 2018
ArcaneFeenix(1) [PM [Help]]  Berks/Chester/Montgomery Counties Retired? Last edit Dec 2019



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