Parking Lot Roads [PLR]
The bad rap about PLRs
As you expand your edit areas, you will also likely expand the number of editors that you meet and interact with. You will see their opinions in places like Waze Forums, Waze Map Editor [WME] Chat, and other communication platforms like Slack and Google Hangouts [GHO].
The general thought process against PLRs starts from a point of 'clutter'. PLRs can most definitely be over used, and that will create a very cluttered map, that is difficult to navigate through when using the Waze app or WME.
Some editors of the most extreme viewpoints, feel that Parking Lot Roads [PLR] are some how evil, and should be avoided at all costs, and used only as a last resort.
This page hopefully will explain to you why they could not be further from the truth about PLRs.
One of the goals of Waze is to provide 'door to door' routing.
Sending a user from 'door to the closest intersection' seems a bit silly doesn't it?
Waze users constantly send Reports about Map Problems after they repeatedly get dumped off in the middle of a busy road or intersection and being told 'you have arrived', with no clear direction to their intended destination.
In today's world of instant gratification, users of Waze will not waste a second uninstalling it from their devices if they don't think it is reliable.
As an editor it is our responsibility to make sure they dont get dumped off like that in the future.
Why use PLRs
So why do we use PLRS?
PLRs have as an important of a role in Waze as any Freeway segment does.
YES, I said as important as a FREEWAY segment.
- The PLR road type prevents erroneous traffic reports
- The PLR allows the start & completion of the 'door to door' routing
- The PLR type road segment is used in all types of areas: Residential, Retail/Commercial & Industrial settings.