Massachusetts/MapRaid

The Boston MapRaid will begin on 19 July, 2015. The raid will run through July 26th..

Please be sure to explore the Wiki page. Also, check back regularly in case of added materials. You are only seeing modifications of this page made up until Thu, 26 Dec 2024 22:00:42 UTC, make sure to log in to the wiki to see the latest updates.

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Mission

Our primary mission is to handle the following (in order of priority):

• URs -- On day 1, please respond to all URs which do not have enough information.
• MPs
• PURs (Places)
• Road Classification Updates
• General map verification, restricted turn verification (Shift + Z)

• Missing Street Names (assisted by WME Color Highlights)
• Elevation (assisted by WME Toolbox)
  

Additionally, we will be looking to identify roads that may need to be divided, for better navigation.

Welcome to Boston!

Ask anyone from Boston and they will confirm that the universe does indeed orbit around the city.

MA Regions

However, this raid encompasses a large chunk of the Eastern MA Metro area. So it's only fair to familiarize you with the area.

Massachusetts is broken up in several informal regions. The raid area will cover several of these regions: South Shore, North Shore, Boston, Brockton, Metro South/West and Metro North. There is some overlap into neighboring areas.

Boston Neighborhoods

Boston itself is broken up into several distinct neighborhoods. Historically these were self-identified ethnic areas. (for instance, the Irish lived in the South End, the Italians in the North End, etc.) Each neighborhood has it's own distinct personality and flavor.

Some other important Boston items to remember:

Chowdah - The only proper way to make clam chowder involves cream. Red sauce is best left to Italian food!

Bean Town - Ancient nickname for Boston. Not widely used any longer Using it marks you immediately as a tourist from the midwest.

The Accent - Either you have it or you don't. And we don't "pahk the cah in the hahvahd yahd." Although, at times, "the weathah heah is wicked bzah".

Wicked - This word is used as a modifier. In order to use it correctly, it must be followed by an adjective. "That club was wicked" is incorrect, and pegs you immediately as a tourist from the Midwest. It does NOT mean evil or bad.

Win Fabulous Prizes!

Ok, maybe not so fabulous to some. But the top 3 finishers of each category (Segments edits, PURs, URs, etc) will each get a Waze T-shirt.

Local Hosts

These gullible, I mean "dedicated," local editors have agreed to act as Local Hosts for the raid. If you have questions about editing, and you can't find the answer in the wiki, or you want to know how it applies in MA, please ask one of these editors.

Editor	Location	Role
orbitc (PM [Help])	All of Massachusetts	Waze Global Champ MapRaid Manager
Dmcrandall (PM [Help])	All of Massachusetts	State Manager MA MapRaid Organizer
jaywazin (PM [Help])	Boston Area	Boston editor and AM on Cape Cod
SanzClew (PM [Help])	South Shore	AM for Plymouth area
mudge42 (PM [Help])	Western Metro Area	MetroWest AM
TheLastTatertot (PM [Help])	Providence Area	SE MA & Boston editor
Panther37 (PM [Help])	South Shore Area	Cape and Islands AM

Raid Areas

The MapRaid area is being divided up by teams. Each team will be responsible for FC updates, URs, Map Problems and general map accuracy (Street names, TRs, etc) in their assigned area.

Raid Groups

Raid Areas

PUR Team

Important!

Tunnels - I-93 runs through tunnels under Boston. There are underground ramps from the freeway to the surface. Please do not make ANY adjustments to the area without approval from State Management.

Please do not alter any of the following road types without first consulting a Local Host: Freeway, Ramp, Major Highway, Minor Highway, Primary Street. You may edit these roads, but do not change the type of the segment.

Anything locked at 5 or 6? - Please check with a local editor before making changes.
If you are a rank 5 or 6 editor - consider keeping highlights active for locks 5 and 6.

Please do not mass-edit - Do not perform edits which will affect large numbers of segments at once. The edit history of segments is highly valuable in the process of solving URs. Mass editing effectively mass erases this history, permanently. We ask that all necessary processes which might affect large portions of the map, or long stretches of roads, be reserved until near the end of the MapRaid. This includes the “Select entire street” function. To facilitate this process in an orderly fashion, we have the Scheduled Edits list below. Please document any mass edits which are required, and you will be given first chance to make those edits when the time is right.

Close nodes - We make use of the "micro-dogleg" technique, where a geometry node is carefully placed, at full zoom, directly next to a junction node, in order to set the angle to create a desired Turn/Stay/Exit prompt. Please watch for these if you move any junction node, and be sure to recreate the same angle at the new location.

Local Guidance

City/town Naming

Use only official names for cities/towns on road segments and Places.

We are currently trying to eradicate a "greater <cityname> area" infestation. By helping to make sure the correct city name is shown on segments and places, this help quite a bit.

You can find the list of Cities and Towns here.

In Massachusetts 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.

Massachusetts Minimum Locking Rank Standard

Segment Type	Statewide
Freeway	5
Ramp	Highest rank of connected segments
Major Highway	4
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.

Roads

The naming format for Numbered State Highways in Massachusetts is "SR-###".

Cardinal Direction indicators are only to be used on Freeway Segments (e.g. "I-495 N")

Functional Classification

Functional Classification is partially complete within the state.

FC Information is contained in the main state wiki, located here.

Alleys

Named alleys should be mapped as Private Roads. Un-named alleys are mapped as Parking Lot Roads. (GIS shows alley names, where appropriate)

Private Roads vs PLRs

If a neighborhood has a security gate, or a private entrance, map it with a Private Road segment.

Apartment complex driveways, parking lots and everything else gets a Parking Lot Road (PLR) segment.

Turns, U-Turns and Turn Restrictions

I would add a note to be careful of TRs that should be there (re shift+z) Valid TRs such as from physically divided roads and illegal turns

In Massachusetts it is legal to make a left turn across one double yellow line. Please do not disallow left turns due to URs reporting “dangerous” or “too difficult” turns, without consulting a Local Host.

Please be aware of physically divided roadways that are not divided in Waze. Check the satellite image closely before changing left turn restrictions along such roadways.

U-Turns are legal at all street intersections, unless signed as restricted. When in doubt, check Street View.

Toll Roads / HOV Truck Lanes

It is our custom to mark the Toll checkbox only on the entrance segments to Toll Roads. HOV lanes have already been set correctly according to our local practices. If you have a question about one of these lanes, please contact a Local Host.

Rotaries (Roundabouts)

Boston's Transportation Department has never met a roundabout it didn't like. They're everywhere. Please don't make adjustments to them unless you know exactly what you are doing. Some intersections that look like a roundabout may only be a traffic circle. Check with a local host if you have a question.

Tunnels

The City of Boston makes use of tunnels along Storrow Drive, as well as I-90 and I-93. Please do not make adjustments to roads in the tunnels.

Elevation

Freeways are considered to be "Ground Level," except where they cross another freeway. And then that segment is adjusted accordingly. The only other exception to this are the downtown tunnels.

Railroads

All of the MBTA (regional transit) rail lines have been mapped. Most of them are underground in the metro area.

Please do not adjust railroad elevations, or junction them to surface streets, during this mapraid.

Parking Lots

The Parking Lot Place marks a well-defined area constructed for off-street public parking, including parking structures and garages as well as at-grade lots. There are many elements that must be considered before deciding to map a parking lot. Currently, the details are covered in Places/Parking lot.

Unless you have permission from the State Manager, please only map the following types of parking lots:

• Public parking lots (Indicate that they are public lots in the description)
• Named lots around an arena/theater/venue (advise SM when you do these)
• Park and Ride lots/structures

Mass Transit parking structures (MBTA stations) should be mapped as Parking Lots, with the additional categories of "Train Station" and "Transportation" added. Additional, the Area should cover the actual station and platform, not just the parking lot/garage.

Alternate Segment Names

We have a very specific policy regarding Alternate Street Names.

With the exception of Freeway segments, all road segments should have a Primary city name assigned to them.

MH & mH

If a Major/Minor classed segment is not a numbered highway, there should be no alternate names listed.

Street Name as Primary Name

The Primary Street name shall be whatever name is in common usage in that area. (Check business addresses, GIS, etc). If the Primary Name is a actual Street Name (Main St, etc), please add the "SR-##" to the Alternate Name field, with no City name.

State Route as Primary Name

However, if the commonly used name is "SR-##" then enter the street name, along with city, in the Alt Name.

If a segment has more than one State/US route number, follow the Concurrent Road Naming guidelines from the Wiki. Just remember, please no city names in the Alt Name field for numbered routes. (see examples on the right)

PS and Lower

List the Primary street name, and city. No Alternate names are to be listed.

Place Editing

PUR should be reviewed for accuracy, once approved all relevant information pertaining to the place should be entered. Please use each company's website to gather all information you can.

All Places added to the map must contain the following entries:

• Proper Category
• Place Name
• Address (including address numbers)
• Placed in the correct location on the map

This is the minimum acceptable amount of information for inclusion on the map.

Following are general standards for place locking in Massachusetts:

Locking Standard

All Places that have the minimum required information (at a minimum, address/city, hours of operation, phone number) are to be locked at Level 2. This is to prevent loss of data due to automatic acceptance of Place Update submissions from Trusted Users, or Place Update Request approvals from other editors without careful examination.

Specific category types require locking to higher levels. If your own editor rank is not quite high enough, let someone else know via Slack, since you can't lock to rank 3 or 4.

This practice will prevent app trusted users and most IGN editors from making incorrect changes to places we know are right. App trusted users and IGN editors are rarely rank 3.

Massachusetts Place Lock Level Standards

PLACE TYPE	LOCK LEVEL
Military Installation / Airport	4
Hospitals / Urgent Care / Police & Fire Dept	4
National & State Parks and Monuments	4
Gas Stations / Charging Stations	3
Schools / Universities / Colleges	3
Government Buildings / Consulates	3

Place Name Harmonization

In an effort to standardize Place Names, Massachusetts uses the following list of Common names. Please note the appropriate category name, as well as the listed spelling. This is necessary for the proper display of any advertising associated with the site (i.e. SUBWAY discounts)

If a name is missing, please let a State Manager know, and it will be added to the list.

Update Requests (URs)

For the purpose of the MapRaid we will be using a 4-day response time. Once initial contact is attempted you will be allowed to close the UR after 4 days. Reminder comments can be used within after 2 days. The clock used to close the UR will be from the initial MapRaid contact. Reminder comments do not reset the closure clock.

 e.g. 

2015-06-24 UR is opened
2015-06-29 Local editor comment
2015-07-19 Initial MapRaid comment
2015-07-21 MapRaid reminder comment
2015-07-23 UR can be closed (Closing Comment is Mandatory).

Before closing the UR, please make all attempts to solve the UR before closing it as 'Not Identified'. Even if there is no reporter response, use the report type, description, route and GPS traces, streetview and other resources to diagnose the problem.

Do not close URs if the UR contains a tag such as [NOTE], [CLOSURE], or any other [MESSAGE].

Those found closing UR's before 4 days as "Not Identified" will be removed from the Raid.

Traffic and Red Light Cameras

Massachusetts does not have any laws regarding red light or speed cameras. While they may be present in the state, there are no known, confirmed red light or speed cameras at this time.

Do not add without consulting a Local Host, and do not approve any that Waze users may have added.

Communication

The preferred method of communication for this Raid will be a web based program called "Slack". This program has many advantages over Google Hangouts.

If you aren't already a member of the Waze Map Raid Slack then please submit your information on this form: http://bit.ly/Slack_invite

You will receive an invitation in your email within 24 hours.

Unlock Requests

Please make all unlock requests in your assigned Slack channel. If you do not get a response, you may post your request in the main raid channel. Please note the current lock level, location of the segment, and what level you wish it to be dropped to.

Mapping Resources

City Level Mapping Resources

• See MA Cities and Towns for links to city/town GIS pages and/or PLAT maps.

State Level Mapping Resources

• Statewide GIS (OLIVER) - When there is a discrepancy between a City's GIS and this one, default to the City GIS (or check Road Inventory Map). If you have any questions, please contact a State Manager.

• Road Inventory Map - Interactive MassDOT map showing the most commonly requested Road Inventory attributes, Functional Classification, Jurisdiction, National Highway System, Federal Functional classification, and Federal-Aid Eligibility. The Road Inventory Map contains the Precise names of each street segment in the state. This is more current than Oliver.

• Numbered Routes with Mile Points - MassDOT map showing the numbered routes across the state with the mile points shown in one-mile increments. Both the functional classification and jurisdiction are available to identify the roadway type for each route.

• Rest Area Map - MassDOT map showing the rest areas located throughout the state owned and maintained by MassDOT Highway. The map highlights rest areas that contain visitor centers, usual located near the state border or in approach to tourist areas such as Cape Cod. In addition, the rest areas are shown on the appropriate side of the road in which they are situated along a highway. (PDF format)

• Scenic Byways - MassDOT map showing the state-designated Scenic Byways in Massachusetts.

• List of Numbered Routes in Massachusetts (Wikipedia)

Reference Links

The Basics

• New editor welcome page
• Waze Map Editor
• Best Map Editing Practice
• Editing manual
• Common editing mistakes
• How to make a Permalink
• All about using the WME Chat
• Community Plugins, Extensions and Tools where you'll links and descriptions to most of the editing scripts being used. Some of these are essential to good editing, and others make the editing process much easier. WME Validator, URO+, and WME Toolbox are highly recommended.

Recommended Tools for MapRaid

• The WME Reference Sheet^[PDF] is a printable double-sided tri-fold quick reference guide to some of the common topics used in WME.

• UR Comments - a tremendous time and labor saving tool with automation and integration with URO+, to help with working URs. Read the documentation.

• Place Browser - In combination with the Place Name Harmonization list, this is an invaluable tool for working on existing places. Be sure to click the About tab to get an overview of the tool.

• Validator is a script that validates a map area in Waze Map Editor, highlights issues and generates a very detailed report with wiki references and solutions.
  

• Boston MapRaid Overlay is a script that places a city layer like overlay to mark out the individual editing groups.

Download links:

* For Chrome browser please download the script at Chrome Web Store
* For Firefox browser please download the script at GreasyFork.org

Note: for Firefox browser you also need Greasemonkey or Tampermonkey installed.

• WME Chat Addon is a script that improves the WME chat GUI. For a list of all the features check the thread here.

 Tapermonkey/Greasmonkey is required to use this script

MapRaid edit lists

Spreadsheets and forms are being used to streamline management of various group efforts and track important edits. Below you can find links to use these these forms, sheets, and see the lists.

BOTG

add BOTG Spreadsheet Widget here

Results

Check back here after the raid is completed to see the results and achievements

MapRaid Promotions

Some editors really let their bright side out, and let their community skills shine. This is even more evident in a concerted group effort with high-density editing like a MapRaid!. Editors of all ranks working closely with each other and the Champs, really lets us everyone get to know each other, and allows certain editors to be recognized for their skills and effort.

When the Champs see someone consistently editing well, interacting well with the community, and knowledgeable of the various details from the Wiki, they can issue promotions. This can be anything from the size of a managed area, to a rank increase, or even a new role.

Watch here for results of promotions during and after the raid.

Teams

add teams here