Waze USA Falcon Map Raid Guidance
Welcome to the guidance document! You need to read this document in full if you are participating in the Map Raid. We recommend adding this to your favourites for quick access. You’ll need it. :)
What are the rules?
What is a “matcher”?
Why are we making these changes?
What are the new principles of mapping going forward?
What are the primary goals of the Map Raid?
Realign Segments
Determine trustworthiness of satellite imagery
Trustworthy imagery
Non-trustworthy imagery
A note on bridges and overpasses
Remove fictional doglegs and micro-doglegs
Exit, fork, split, wayfinder, and AGC geometry
Dividing roads
When and when not to divide a road
Junction Boxes
What are the secondary goals of the Map Raid?
Remove excess geometry handles
Lane Guidance
Extra Information
What if I come across a stacked road?
Mapping of dedicated turn lanes / AGCs
How do I start raiding?
Suggested scripts
What are the rules?
This map raid is open to U.S. editors only.
By registering for the Falcon Map Raid, you agree to:
- Be bound by the Waze Terms of Service, and Waze Community Code of Conduct;
- Follow the U.S., regional, and state mapping standards as outlined in the wiki;
- Follow the directions and guidelines provided by the Map Raid leaders;
- NOT use any Map Raid areas granted to you for any other purpose but to attend to the goals of the Map Raid; and
- NOT to use any unauthorized external / third party data sources.
You also understand that:
- Your editing activity may be monitored by the Map Raid leaders;
- Your edits may be reviewed to ensure they comply with the Map Raid rules and above terms;
- You should work cooperatively as a part of the community including monitoring communications about the Map Raid;
- Map Raid rules and guidelines may be revised during the raid, and will be published on the Waze USA Discord server under the Falcon Map Raid channels; and
- You can leave the Map Raid through a message sent to a Map Raid leader.
You understand that failure to follow these terms could result in your exclusion from this or future Map Raids, and/or sanctions applied to your Waze account.
What is a “matcher”?
As you drive along your route, the arrow in the Waze app depicts your location on the Waze map. A technology, previously called the matcher, "snaps" the arrow to a segment on the map on your route. This association is very strongly bound to keep the arrow tied to the current route. As a result, Waze has often been slow to detect and recalculate changes when you deviate from the route, especially if the new route runs parallel to the old route.
Why are we making these changes?
Waze is launching a new feature called the Falcon Snapper, already live on Android and in beta for iOS. The new snapper is next generational – it is smarter and more predictive than the previous matcher. It uses multiple sensors (including GPS) to determine the most likely position of the car in relation to the road. Its power setting is currently turned down though. Before we can fully utilize its power, we need to make changes to our mapping standards and the Waze map. Once we finish, the power setting on Falcon can be turned up to the max!
What are the new principles of mapping going forward?
The community is leading the way in upgrading the Waze map to meet the new requirements of Falcon Snapper. We therefore need to change our thinking to these new principles:
- The map needs to be as accurate as possible and representative of reality: the position of the segment on the road, and the direction / angle of intersecting segments. Segments that do not meet these new principles could make Falcon hiccup, switch the arrow to another segment/route, and cause a poor user experience.
- We are moving away from using the map as a way to control the app. A map should be a map; it should be accurate and represent the world. The only time the map should deviate from reality is when an app function would be broken as a result of accurately drawing the map.
What are the primary goals of the Map Raid?
Realign Segments
To enable Falcon to work as well as it can, segment positions need to be aligned with reality as closely as possible. To do this:
- Determine whether the satellite imagery in the area is trustworthy by comparing it with the GPS points layer.
- If the satellite imagery is trustworthy, align the segments to the center of the roadway using the satellite imagery.
- If the satellite imagery is not trustworthy, align the segments to the center of the tracks in the GPS points layer as closely as possible.
Determine trustworthiness of satellite imagery
Determining the trustworthiness of satellite imagery is a very quick check you should do any time you’re adjusting roadway geometry. It takes only seconds (especially using the default shift-G and shift-R keyboard shortcuts to quickly switch on and off the GPS points and segments layers, respectively) and can save a ton of re-work.
First, enable the GPS points layer.
If the bulk of the arrows on the GPS points layer line up well with the roads on satellite imagery (even if there are some outliers), it is trustworthy, and you should use it as the basis for roadway alignment.
But if the arrows show a lot of traffic that is not aligned with roads visible in satellite imagery, you might have a problem.
Trustworthy imagery
In this image, the bulk of the arrows are well within the limits of the roadways, without any significant concentration of arrows showing a misalignment.
This is another example of well-aligned imagery—even though there are “junk” arrows everywhere, there are strong concentrations of arrows that line up well with actual roads, so the imagery is trustworthy.
In cases where imagery is trustworthy, align segments with the satellite imagery.
Align the segments as close to the center of the road as practical.
- On roads with multiple lanes, the lane lines can be used as a guide for finding the center of the road.
- On one-way segments with an even number of lanes, the segment should cover the line between the middle two lanes.
- On one-way segments with an odd number of lanes, the segment should run dead center in the middle lane.
- Generally, follow the geometric center of the road.
- On two-way segments, the geometric center will not always be the same as the roadway centerline that splits the two directions of traffic.
- However, in cases where the geometric center of the roadway temporarily shifts near an intersection, don’t blindly “chase the turn lanes” if doing so would cause an abrupt correction at the intersection. Falcon Snapper is smart enough to know that roadways sometimes get wider near intersections. Keeping the path smooth is more important in these cases.
When the center of the road changes abruptly due to a change in the number of lanes, keep the transitions smooth.
One-way segments—follow the geometric center of the roadway. On the 4-lane segments, the lane markings between the 2 middle lanes are a great reference.
One-way segments.
- Westbound, a transition from 3 lanes to 2 lanes & 1 lane—note the transition is smooth. For the 3-lane portion, follow the center of the middle lane. For the 2-lane portion, follow the lane markings between the two lanes.
- Eastbound upper, an easy 2 lanes, so follow the lane markings.
- Eastbound lower, a smooth transition from 1 lane & 1 lane into 2 lanes, then an exit on the right while the 2 lanes continue onward. For the 1-lane portions, follow the center of the roadway. For the 2-lane portion, follow the lane markings between the two lanes.
Don’t “chase the turn lanes”—Falcon is smart enough to know that roadways sometimes get wider near a turn. “Chasing the turn lanes” leads to awkward geometry at the junction itself, which is a bigger problem.
It’s okay to realign segments even if they are only off by a few feet or half a lane. We want our segments to be as close to reality as possible so that Falcon can work as well as possible.
Non-trustworthy imagery
Imagery is not trustworthy if it is either misaligned or out of date.
In this image, you can see a strong concentration of GPS tracks cutting through what appears to be forests and fields in satellite imagery. This strongly suggests that the roadway alignment has changed, so this imagery is not trustworthy.
In this image, you can see a strong concentration of arrows that do not line up with the roadways visible on satellite imagery, but which have the same shape as the roadways.
If the imagery is not trustworthy, segments should be aligned with GPS tracks.
On a two-way road, you should see arrows of 2 different colors, showing 2 different directions of travel. Align the segment to the center of the two directions of travel:
On a one-way road, you should see a cluster of arrows of the same color. Align the segment with the center of this cluster.
A note on bridges and overpasses
Even in areas with otherwise-trustworthy imagery, high-rise bridges and overpasses may be significantly misaligned. This is due to a phenomenon known as parallax. Because the satellite’s camera is not always directly above the places it’s photographing, anything not at ground level might not be aligned properly with things around it—while the satellite imagery provider does typically attempt to compensate for parallax error, it is not always successful. Where this error occurs, use satellite imagery to align segments at ground level, but follow the GPS tracks more closely as you near the peak of the bridge or overpass.
Though most of the GPS tracks in this image show that the imagery is trustworthy—even on most of the elevated ramps and freeways in this image, upwards of 100 feet above ground level—the selected reversible HOV lane segments are misaligned by a bit. While the satellite imagery provider does attempt to correct parallax errors, it’s not perfect (and the blurriness of the imagery on those elevated roadways is further evidence of this).
At the other end of the bridge, parallax error is quite evident on the elevated bridge approach segments, while the ground-level imagery is clearly trustworthy. Use the imagery at ground level; use the GPS tracks to align the bridge segments only.
Remove fictional doglegs and micro-doglegs
For years, doglegs and micro-doglegs have been used for several reasons: to force turn instructions (before turn instruction overrides were introduced), to force lane arrows (before lane arrow overrides were introduced), to make junction locations stand out on the map (before the on-route turn arrow overlay was introduced), and so on. All of these reasons have two things in common:
- they are no longer valid, as the map editor and app limitations that necessitated them have been addressed with native features, and
- they can cause problems with Falcon Snapper, which is sensitive to the angle of the driver’s movements.
Remember - The map needs to be as accurate as possible and representative of reality: the position of the segment on the road, and the direction and angle of intersecting segments.
Where found, micro-doglegs should be removed, and the segments mapped with the above guiding principles, to follow more closely with reality. Add Turn Instruction Overrides (TIOs) and Lane Angle Overrides (LAOs) where necessary to provide the best driver experience.
Exit, fork, split, wayfinder, and AGC geometry
Where two roads separate from each other as in an exit, fork, split, wayfinder, or AGC, there is one guiding question: is there a clear straight-ahead path? That is, does one outbound segment clearly continue the same path as the inbound segment?
- Left: no, there is no clear straight-ahead path.
- Center: yes, the I-610 E outbound path is the clear straight-ahead path—even though both paths run parallel (at first), I-610 E is the actual continuation and has more lanes.
- Right: yes, the left path is the clear straight-ahead path—even though these are exit ramps and there is no “continuation” per se, the left path is totally straight while the right path diverges immediately.
Where there is a clear straight-ahead path,
- The straight-ahead path should be more or less straight, with a smooth transition.
- The diverging path should be edited as follows:
- First, place the first geometry handle of the diverging segment
- on freeway exits and other ramps, at the nearest point to the exit from the following:
- If there's no solid white line, at the gore point (or “theoretical gore”, i.e., where the painted lines begin to diverge);
- If there's a solid white line, at its beginning;
- On a multi-lane exit, at the gore point or (if present) solid white line between the inner exit lane and the main lanes of traffic;
- 1/4 mile before the gore point, on exits with a longer solid white line; or
- Halfway between the gore points of the exit and the previous exit.
- on at-grade connectors, at the gore point (or “theoretical gore”).
- Next, grab the node itself, where the segments meet, and adjust the geometry of the exit itself as follows:
- If the actual path of the exit diverges from the inbound path by less than 20°, adjust the node to create a 20° departure angle. This will allow for consistent timing of exit instructions and make it easier to report closures in the Waze client.
- If the actual path of the exit diverges immediately from the inbound path by more than 20°, adjust the node such that the exit path follows its true natural departure angle.
- Ensure that the last geometry handle before the node is at least 40 feet ahead of the node, and that the second geometry handle on the diverging path is at least 40 feet beyond the first geometry handle.
Where there is not a clear straight-ahead path,
- Adjust the inbound segment geometry to follow the true path of the inbound segment,
- Set the first geometry handles of both outbound segments at the gore point, then
- Grab the node and adjust such that the angle between the outbound segments is at least 15°.
- If following the true natural departure angles leads to an inner angle of 15° or more, do that.
- If the outbound segments are both equally straight ahead, ensure that the outbound paths at the node are essentially symmetrical.
- Essentially symmetrical: yes, departure angles of outbound segments are very close (7° and 8°).
- At least 15°: yes (de-select any segments and select the node to check).
At the other end, ramps and AGCs should enter the flow of traffic smoothly and naturally. Place the final geometry handle of a ramp or AGC at the gore point as shown below, then grab the node and pull it along the road to create a smooth, natural entry angle:
Smooth re-entry. Just like the Apollo guys did back in the day.
Dividing roads
As a “rule of thumb” - when there is a physical divider between the road (e.g. a small wall, grass, trees) and you cannot cross in a typical car, then map it with parallel one-way segments to more accurately represent reality.
When and when not to divide a road
A road should be divided when any of the following conditions are met:
- It is an Interstate Highway, other freeway, or other controlled- or limited-access road with separated directions of travel, or
- There is a physical median or other traffic control device which makes it impossible or illegal to turn left onto or off of the road, including but not limited to where
- Houses, businesses, or other destinations are located directly on the street but are not accessible from the opposite direction of travel due to a median or other traffic control device that either physically or legally prohibits such access, or
- U-turns are required for proper navigation to or from side roads or destinations.
A road should not be divided when any of the following conditions is met:
- There is a shared two-way center turn lane (of any width) between the directions of travel, or
- It is both possible and legal to make a left turn across the roadway centerline at any point along the road (e.g., across a normal double yellow line to enter a driveway).
This is expected to create a lot more H and # (hash) junctions. Where they’re complex, junction boxes may be required. See junction boxes below.
You must consider U-turn prevention and take measures to allow or disallow U-turns where possible or impossible. To prepare for turning off the old U-turn prevention, junction boxes should be used instead of prior guidance that will be deprecated.
Junction Boxes
With the creation of a lot more potentially complex junctions and accurately matching roads to reality, there may be a need to add junction boxes to the intersections, or sets of intersections, you’re creating.
A junction box should be used when necessary to:
- Prohibit an illegal or impossible path that cannot be prohibited with a simple turn restriction;
- Prevent illegal U-turns at H and # intersections;
- Enable collection of differential traffic data at # and H intersections (i.e., enable the routing server to tell the difference between left turn and straight-through delays);
- Enable collection of differential traffic data where traffic backs up past junction nodes before the intersection (e.g., because of another intersection, at-grade connector (AGC), exit ramp, or parking lot road) where the backup timing is expected to be different depending on which way the driver eventually exits the intersection; or
- To better collect traffic data on intricate intersections.
If a junction box is needed, make sure it is the last thing that needs to be done. Once added, the JB needs to be deleted for certain modifications to the segments and nodes beneath it (most notably, nodes under a JB cannot be moved, and segments connected to a JB cannot be cut).
In the United States, Level 4 and above can add/modify junction boxes. If you add one, please note on the Map Raid sheet. If you think one is needed, but you’re unable to add it, please note on the Map Raid sheet.
What are the secondary goals of the Map Raid?
You can work on these goals if you happen to notice they’re applicable to the segment you were initially working on, and of course, after the Map Raid is complete on any segment.
Remove excess geometry handles
Geometry handles should be removed where they are not needed. For example, this straight road has many geometry handles.
Lane Guidance
If Lane Guidance is missing on a segment you’re working on, add it while you’re working on it.
Extra Information
What if I come across a stacked road?
Falcon Snapper doesn’t currently work well with roads stacked on top of each other. Please make a note of it for later analysis and mapping.
Mapping of dedicated turn lanes / AGCs
Do dedicated turn lanes and at-grade connectors (AGCs) need mapping? In exceptional cases only.
In the below example, note the points A and B. Falcon Snapper has a feature called “curver” which expects drivers to turn in a curve between these two points. Curver stops at geometry handles, so be sure to minimize them close to intersections. Also note that the islands created by the AGCs are small and do not result in much of a delay in the final turn instruction.
An AGC is indicated if it:
- Red arrow: creates a large island, where, without the AGC the late turn instruction will result in the driver missing the turn.
- Green arrow: geo nodes are required close to the actual turn to shape the road to match reality that affect the Falcon Snapper curver ability.
- The AGC contains essential wayfinder information.
How do I start raiding?
Firstly, re-read the above rules. The penalties for breaking them are severe.
Remember, the Map Raid will run for 30 days, between Fri 20 Nov and Sun 19 Dec 2020 only.
Next, check which team you are in and who your Map Raid leader is by going to this sheet.
Note: This Google Sheets USA segment list is confidential to the Map Raid team and is not to be otherwise shared.
Please do not sort or filter any sheets. Use Filter views only.
Go to your groups segment sheet list (pinned to your group channel in Discord):
- Click on the link to the state sheet you will be working on.
- Choose the filter view that goes up to your rank - when there are no segments left to fix for your rank, filter by the next rank up, and so on.
- Note the sheet is sorted by:
- Block confidence
- Street name
- Choose a segment or road to work on by finding the next uncompleted segment from the top. Only work on a single road at a time, unless you are a Map Raid leader.
- Set the status to in-progress and add your username as the “Fixing editor”
- Follow the primary goals of the Map Raid
- If the secondary goals apply to your segments, you’re comfortable performing them, and there is time - complete the secondary goals.
- Check if a road needs dividing:
- Divide if you can, record your username in the Divide editor column, and update the status column.
- If you cannot divide, update the status column so another editor knows it is outstanding.
- Check if a junction box needs adding:
- Add the junction box if you can, record your username in the Junction box editor column, and update the status column.
- If you cannot add, update the status column so another editor knows it is outstanding.
- It is essential you keep the status column up to date with the status of the work on the segment.
- Look for other segments in the area you are working that need adjusted to follow the new principles of mapping. Shorter segments and segments with little known traffic impact will not show in the sheet, but they still need to be adjusted.
Suggested scripts
The following scripts may be helpful for this Map Raid:
- WME Junction Angle Info (JAI) to display angles at junctions.
forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- WME Lane Tools to display lane guidance during dividing. This includes R2 so they can see where their edits can affect it and ask for help adding it back.
forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- WME Street View Availability can be used as a clue on determining if a road should be divided.
forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- WME GIS Layers (GIS-L) can help with determining centerlines.
forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- WME Fix UI can be used to shift Aerial imagery and to move the GPS points layer below the segment layer.
forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- WME Locksmith to properly lock segments after dividing. This includes R2 who can use it to highlight incorrect locks and ask for assistance.
forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- Straighten Up! can remove excess geometry handles if ToolBox isn’t installed (only select a single segment).
forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- Depending on your preference, there are a variety of tools to highlight various things:
- Color Highlights forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- Magic forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- Toolbox forum 🔗 installation 🔗
- Validator forum 🔗 installation 🔗