Complete Guide to Waze in the Canada (Under Development)
- Since the USA and Canada share the same Waze server, many of the policies and best practices that have been developed for the US also apply to Canada. This page contains information that is unique to Canada. Because some of it is still being developed, please follow the guidance for the US where it is not in conflict with the information here.
- This page is now in development and available in French.
Forums
Please check out the Canada-specific forums here: [1]
Feel free to post questions and ask for advice in your editing. Our region is very different in a number of ways from the United States, so the generic editing guidelines don't always apply.
Map Editing
- Please follow the Canada Post street type abbreviation to reduce map clutter by not using long road type name.
e.g. John St, Bayview Ave, Don Valley Pky, Slick Dr, Main Blvd e.g. SW instead of South-west
See http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGaddress-e.asp#1423617 for full details in English and French.
- Canada Post also published the abbreviations for provinces and territories [2]
e.g. Whitehorse, YT Toronto, ON Charlottetown PE
- For wide roads (at least 3 lanes on each direction) with two directions of traffic, consider the best map editing practice for North America so that a GPS lock will be made correctly. Note: standard lane width is about 3.5m, typical GPS accuracy is about 10-20m. Generally, splitting a road is not desirable.
Unlock Requests
Canada has its own forum area for unlock requests. Please your requests here.
Landmarks
Landmark guidelines also vary from those in the United States. We're still working on all the definitions, please ask in the Canada-specific forum if you have questions!
Area/Country Managers
If you are an Area Manager that covers part of Canada, or a Country Manager that does a lot of work in Canada, please add yourself to this list. See comments via an "Edit" of this section to add yourself.
| Username | Areas Managed | Comments | Forum PM
|
|---|---|---|---|
| doctorkb | Western Canada (Alberta & BC) | Waze Global Champ (Canada), Rank 6 CM for Canada; AM for Edmonton, Prince George, and various places in between. | PM |
| EECGeek | Ontario / Quebec, Canada | CM for Canada and US; AM for Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. | PM |
| james8970 | Western/Central Canada | CM | PM |
| joe01romano | Eastern Canada | CM / AM for Canada and US. | PM |
| Webs101 | Just Quebec for now... | CM | PM |
Problems and Issues
Canadian highways are defined differently than their US counterparts, please have a look at the discussion page and comment, as well as the section below.
The Montreal Area has unique issues of its own.
U-Turns
British Columbia
168 Except as provided by the bylaws of a municipality or the laws of a treaty first nation, a driver must not turn a vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction
- (a) unless the driver can do so without interfering with other traffic, or,
- (b) when he or she is driving
- (i) on a curve,
- (ii) on an approach to or near the crest of a grade where the vehicle cannot be seen by the driver of another vehicle approaching from either direction within 150 m,
- (iii) at a place where a sign prohibits making a U-turn,
- (iv) at an intersection where a traffic control signal has been erected, or
- (v) in a business district, except at an intersection where no traffic control signal has been erected.
Practical application in Waze: restrict all u-turns in BC unless there is a sign outright permitting them.
Alberta
Do not do a U-turn unless you can do it safely. U-turns are not permitted:
- at an intersection controlled by a traffic control signal (traffic lights) unless permitted by a traffic control device
- where a sign prohibits U-turns
In urban areas U-turns are not permitted:
- on a roadway between intersections
- at an alley intersection
- at an intersection where one or more of the roadways is an access to a public or private parking lot which the public can access
Outside urban areas (rural) U-turns are not permitted:
- on a curve
- approach to or near the crest of a hill where the driver of another vehicle cannot see you that is approaching within 150 metres from either direction
A Driver's Guide to Operation, Safety and Licensing: Cars and Light Trucks
Practical application in Waze: restrict all u-turns in Alberta unless there is a sign outright permitting them.
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
143. No driver or operator of a vehicle upon a highway shall turn the vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction when,
- (a) upon a curve where traffic approaching the vehicle from either direction cannot be seen by the driver of the vehicle within a distance of 150 metres;
- (b) on a railway crossing or within 30 metres of a railway crossing;
- (c) upon an approach to or near the crest of a grade where the vehicle cannot be seen by the driver of another vehicle approaching from either direction within 150 metres; or
- (d) within 150 metres of a bridge, viaduct or tunnel where the driver’s view is obstructed within such distance.
R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 143. Highway Traffic Act
Practical application in Waze: restrict all u-turns in Ontario unless there is a sign outright permitting them.
Quebec
Newfoundland / Labrador
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Yukon Territory
Northwest Territories
Definitions
Naming
Towns, cities villages etc... To save space just put in the name of the city, example "Toronto" not "City of Toronto", or for smaller places use "Springfield" not "Town of Springfield" or "Village of Springfield".
Please avoid the use of the province after the place. For example don't put in "Springfield, Qc" or "Springfield, On" because it is known to make two towns in the same place, and is almost impossible to eradicate. Many towns have "Springfield" and "Springfield, Qc" in the same area which confuses things which we're trying to avoid.
Changing of Types
As a highway enters a city/town, it often becomes a named street, and sometimes would no longer fit the usual criteria for a "highway".
Due to a number of reasons, including long-distance routing issues, as well as appearance, the highway should remain as the same type it entered the city/town (except if it's a Freeway -- if it no longer fits the Freeway criteria, it may be downgraded to Major Highway until it is again a Freeway).
Trans-Canada Highway
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/4/41/RoadBlue.png
Road type: Freeway
Primary name: Hwy 1
Alternate: Trans-Canada Hwy
There are parts of Hwy 1 that travel through some National/Provincial parks with frequent stops, reduced speed and undivided portions. These segments should be reduced to a Major Highway until the speed increases, stops are minimized and the highway is divided again.
Quebec Roads
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/4/41/RoadBlue.png
Autoroutes, or limited access highways, such as the 20/40/55 or any *40 are considered freeways
The big exception to this rule is Autoroute 50 which is still a freeway, even though some small parts of it are not limited access and some are only two lane with no divider.
The official road map of Quebec should be consulted to determine the status of provincial routes. The map is available in French and English.
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/2/28/Majorhighwayseg.png
Major highways on the map are in depicted in red and should be red in Waze.
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/3/37/RoadYell.png
Minor highways in yellow-orange on the map should be in yellow.
A very general rule of thumb is that 100-series highways are in red while 200 and 300-series highways are in yellow. This is not completely accurate, however, so please consult the official map.
n.b. also, the Montreal Area has its own rules.
Ontario Roads
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/4/41/RoadBlue.png
all 400 series highways are in blue as they are limited access freeways. Also other highways for example the 174 just east of Ottawa are also in blue as they are limited access.
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/2/28/Majorhighwayseg.png
Certain Major highways are two lane but are still in red because they collect the minor highways, and many county roads and we need to distinguish them, examples are the 174 east of Ottawa/Orleans, the 17, the 138, 38 the 7 in eastern Ontario.
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/3/37/RoadYell.png
County roads will be in yellow as they have higher speed limits them most main roads.
Alberta Roads
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/4/41/RoadBlue.png
Freeways in Canada need to follow a different standard than in the US.
Currently in Alberta, only ring roads (perimeter roads around a city), Hwy 1 (including the highways Hwy 1 splits into), Hwy 2, Hwy 16, and any highways with limited access (e.g. highways with no traffic lights, and access is exclusive to ramps entrances).
When considering the road type, use the rules for the US as a guideline, with the idea that a Canadian "Freeway" may lack one of the criteria used in the US (e.g. Whitemud Freeway in Edmonton is 80 km/h, but meets all other criteria; Hwy 16 W of Edmonton doesn't have ramps for every junction, but meets all other criteria)
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/2/28/Majorhighwayseg.png
http://www.waze.com/wiki/images/3/37/RoadYell.png
Minor/Major Highways should be named in this format:
- Hwy # (H is capitalized, the 'wy' in lower case, followed by a number) e.g. Hwy 216
- Not 'Highway #' or 'HWY # (all caps)'.
- Hwy # (H is capitalized, the 'wy' in lower case, followed by a number) e.g. Hwy 216
Generally highways in the 1–216 series are major highways (except when they are freeways), and highways in the 500–999 series are minor highways. However, a highway with a letter suffix in its number should generally be one type lower than the corresponding highway without the letter suffix. For example Hwy 2A is major highway, one type lower than Hwy 2 (freeway), and Hwy 13A in Camrose is minor highway, one type lower than Hwy 13 (major highway).
Some highways in the 500–999 series are gravel, and this raises a dilemma for Waze editors because Waze lacks a road type for all-weather gravel roads. The consensus is to use "Dirt road / 4X4 Trail" for gravel highways in regions where paved alternative routes are available for many destinations, but to use "Minor Highway" in regions where there are no paved alternatives.
Township and Range Roads
Township and range roads are maintained and signed by the local municipal district (MD). Some MDs have chosen a numbering format with a hyphen before the last digit (e.g. “Township Rd 38-4”) but most have chosen a hyphenless format (e.g. “Range Rd 15”). In WME, the road names should follow the local format as used on the signs. Abbreviate “Rd” but leave “Township” and “Range” unabbreviated.
List (incomplete) of MDs that use hyphens: Clearwater County, Lacombe County, Mountain View County, Stettler County