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Lane guidance is a new Waze app feature that shows the user exactly which lanes they should use to make their next movement. This feature boosts Wazer confidence by providing reassurance in junctions both typical and unusual.
Lane guidance data is added via the Waze Map Editor (WME). When a single segment is selected in the WME, an additional tab called Lanes is available. The Lanes tab allows map editors to tell Waze which lane to display to the driver for lane guidance in the mobile app.
There are some important considerations regarding lane guidance in Waze:
- Lane guidance does not affect routing - it is merely a visual feature.
- Lane guidance does not affect audio instructions, with the exception of u-turn instructions resulting from heuristics for intersections on divided roads.
- Lane guidance will only be displayed when a navigation instruction is given. If the best continuation is straight ahead, lane guidance will not be shown, unless there is a continue straight TIO.
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As of 26 April 2020[update] The Lanes tab is only visible in the WME to rank 4 editors and lane guidance in the App is only visible to beta testers. The lane mapping feature of WME and the lane guidance feature of the mobile app are both still under development. Please check this guide frequently for updates to features and guidance. |
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As of 26 April 2020[update] The lane mapping feature of WME and the lane guidance feature of the mobile app are both still under development. Please check this guide frequently for updates to features and guidance. |
Mapping guidance
What counts as a lane?
Q: How many lanes should you map at the end of a segment? What counts as a lane?
A: Map any lane that achieves full and consistent width BEFORE the turn itself. For a freeway exit lane, this means a lane that is full width BEFORE the gore point. If someone travelling in the right lane can continue straight without changing lanes, then map this as a straight/turn lane.
Consider what the road looks like to a driver - make the number of lanes in the lane guidance display conform to what the driver will see.
Freeway exits and other ramps
Example 1: Not a Separate Lane
The exit lane does not reach full width until the gore point; map as part of the rightmost continue-straight lane.
Example 2: Not a Separate Lane
The exit lane does not reach full width until the gore point; mapped as part of the rightmost continue-straight lane.
Example 3: Separate Lane
When the exit lane reaches full width before the gore point, map it as a lane separate from the rightmost continue-straight lane.
Example 4: Separate Lane
When the exit lane reaches full width before the gore point, map it as a lane separate from the rightmost continue-straight lane.
Center two-way left-turn lanes
Many two-way streets have a center lane marked as a two-way left turn lane (TWLTL), also known as a ‘suicide lane’ or ‘chicken lane’. In the US, this lane is bordered on either side by two yellow lines - the inner line is broken or dashed, the outer line is solid. Pavement marking arrows may or may not be present. Where lane guidance is applied and the left turn lane is possible, these should be marked as separate left-turn lanes.
HOV or other restricted lanes
HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) restrictions or vehicle restrictions may sometimes only apply to a portion of the roadway. Only include these restricted lanes in lane guidance if they are available to users on the segment in question. In the example below, the bus lane allows for right turning vehicles to use the lane, so it is included in lane guidance.
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HOV lanes that are on the same segment (not physically separated) should be included in lanes.
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Bus, bike, or other restricted lanes should be included. In this case, right turns are allowed from the bus lane, so it is shown as a right turn lane.
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In this case, the bus lane (red, center) is the only lane that proceeds straight ahead. It should be included, as it will be shown (though faded) to drivers when they are directed using the outside lanes to turn left or right.
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The HOV lanes is clearly visible to all traffic, and would be considered by most drivers to be a lane, it should be included in the count of lanes at the segments ending at the exit.
When to map lanes
Generally, lanes should be mapped where there is more than one lane and only a subset of the lanes (one or more) is available for turns. Also lanes should be mapped in potentially confusing locations where lane guidance can significantly improve safety and the driver experience.
When the driver needs to choose the correct lane
Any time there are two or more lanes AND an instruction is given at the node. In the example below, the street running east/west has only two lanes in either direction, but only one of those lanes may turn south onto the side street. Lane guidance should be added.
To clarify which road to take
Before now, Waze could not show the driver the difference between slight, 90°, and sharp turns. Without lanes, intersections with multiple right or multiple left turns could be confusing to drivers. Lane guidance can clear up this confusion by showing drivers whether to take, for example, the slight turn or the sharp turn.
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This situation is generally the only place where it is useful to add lanes where there is only one lane in the relevant direction of travel. |
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example 1
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example 2
When the driver needs reinforcement or reassurance for safety
There are some cases where lanes should be added to reassure drivers that they need not switch lanes, or that they may not turn from the lane they are in. In the example below, both lanes of the highway off-ramp must turn right. Drivers have no choices. Lane guidance should be added to reassure drivers in the left lane that they need not change lanes and to reinforce the prohibition on the left turn to reduce the chance of them making a wrong-way turn.
When not to map lanes
When drivers have no choice
Generally, don’t add lanes when there is only one lane, or at a node where no instruction is to be given. An exception to this general rule is at confusing intersections and interchanges where the driver needs reassurance that a lane change will not be necessary before the next turn or exit maneuver, or reinforcement that what might look like a valid turn is not allowed (see the reinforcement and reassurance example above).
Merges and new lanes
Waze does not offer lane guidance for a reduction in the number of lanes.
When to override lane arrows
See How Waze selects lane arrows for information on the default turn arrows Always review the lane arrows displayed in the Lanes pane carefully once you have applied your edits. Use override when it makes sense to do so, and leave the “waze selected” setting in place otherwise. Do what makes sense to the person in the driver’s seat - choose the arrow which is going to make the most sense to the driver based on what they are going to have to do (continue straight, u-turn, slight right, etc) and what they are going to see as they approach the intersection or interchange where they need to make the maneuver. When you change the arrow associated with one outgoing segment, check the remaining segments. In general, do not use the same arrow for more than one outgoing segment
When more than one outbound segment have the same 'Waze selected' arrow
Change one or more of them in a way that makes sense.
Where segment geometry doesn’t match reality
This happens in some locations because waze road segment width does not match the real life road width. This can result in turn angles on the map which are somewhat different from the true turn angle. Lane arrow override may be necessary.
Where the Waze selected arrow doesn't match reality
Even in areas with very high quality maps, the Waze arrow selection mechanism can create arrow configurations which are confusing to the driver. This is particularly likely at nodes where there are multiple outbound segments essentially straight ahead (within a couple dozen degrees either way) from the inbound segment.
These potentially-confusing generated arrows are most often found at ramp splits, wayfinders, and forks in the road, discussed in the section immediately below.
However, these situations occur in other places as well. For example, in situations where a main road veers off in one direction, and a side road continues straight ahead, the Waze selected arrows will sometimes give straight-ahead arrows to the continuation of the main road, and a “slight turn” arrow to the straight-ahead side road. This does not make sense from a driver’s perspective. In such cases, use lane angle overrides to achieve the desired result.
In this example, continuing road veers left; while side road exits straight ahead. Both the street-level and overhead imagery clearly shows the driver's perspective, and the need for adjustments.
| Waze selected arrows do not match reality. | Use lane angle overrides to create reality. |
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Ramp splits, wayfinders, and forks in the road
Sometimes the Waze selected lane arrows are the best choice and sometimes they are not. Look at both overhead and street views to consider what makes the most sense from the driver’s perspective. Given the processes by which Waze selects the “Waze selected” selection, sometimes the “Waze selected” straight-ahead arrow does not match well with the actual geometry of a junction.
Generally, only one outbound segment (if any) should have the “straight” arrow. If both outbound segments at a split or wayfinder take you down an equally-straight or equally-not straight path (whether immediately or foreseeably ahead), then neither should use the straight arrow. If one of the outbound segments leads to a straighter path than the other, however, then that one should have the straight arrow. If this is already happening, great. If not, use lane override to make it happen (and to ensure that the other path doesn’t keep it).
Adding lanes to the map
Before adding lane information, check both aerial and street view to make sure how many lanes there are on the segment at the node(s) where you are about to add lanes. See #link to What counts as a lane for more.
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As of 27 April 2020[update] the lanes tab shows at zoom level 4 and higher. If you don’t see the tab, try zooming and panning until it shows. The node you are editing must also be in the window. |
Adding lanes to a segment
1. Click the segment for which you would like to add lanes.
2. In the left pane, click the Lanes tab.
3. For two-way segments, ensure you are editing the correct end of the segment. The “B” end (for A-to-B traffic) will show first, followed by the “A” end (for B-to-A traffic). The text at the top of each ‘end’ will describe the directionality of the lanes below.
4. Click "Add lane guidance".
5. Add the number of lanes (NOT the number of possible directions). Use the number of lanes that connect to the next segment, even if there are a different number of lanes at some other point on the segment. See the 'What counts as a lane section?' above for more information.
6. Use the checkboxes to assign the available lanes for each outbound movement. Confirm using street-level imagery, where available. Note that the same lane may be used for more than one movement (e.g., the right lane may be used for both continuing and right-turning traffic).
7. Click Apply, then save your changes when you are ready. Changes will go live in the app after the next map tile update.
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Mousing-over the turn arrow in the lanes panel will highlight that turn arrow on the map. |
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