This page serves as the primary resource for editors of Massachusetts. Review all the sections to better understand how the guidelines for this state might deviate from the overall USA or worldwide guidelines. If you have any comments or questions about this page or state refer to the community links below.
If you edit in Massachusetts, please make sure you are listed in the table below.
Thank you for your interest in editing Waze maps in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Please note Massachusetts follows the US national guidance with a few exceptions. Be sure to click on and read every link from this page for in-depth tips, guidance and advice.
All editors should have a real username, not a usa_username and are required to have their private messaging turned on.
Refer to the Glossary for common Waze related terms.
Mapping resources
Before editing the maps in Massachusetts, be sure to fully review and understand the editing manual.
The Waze user community follows the Waze etiquette guidelines discussed in the Wiki. Be sure to familiarize yourself with these guiding principals while editing the maps and this Wiki, as well as when communicating with other Waze users.
MassMapper Statewide GIS - When there is a discrepancy between a City's GIS and this one, default to the City GIS. 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 Waze forum is a great place to find answers to previously asked questions and also a place to ask new ones. Below are links to the forums specific to Massachusetts.
New editors should consider checking into the formal mentoring program available at no charge.
Formal Mentoring is a great tool to quickly learn the ropes of editing correctly and efficiently. It includes the potential for accelerated rank and role upgrades.
There is a Discord Channel for Massachusetts editors. This is the primary and official communications link. Feel free to ask for an invitation from the RC or any Massachusetts State SM listed below.
The Massachusetts editing community also communicates using Twitter (linked below) and the state forum.
One of the most common errors when editing the maps is when an editor creates a road and does not confirm the road by setting the city and road name (or stating it has none).
Massachusetts follows the general road naming and road type guidelines of the USA.
Road Types
Important Note
Massachusetts Functional Classification settings are dictated by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), at the request of the local jurisdictions, and in coordination with neighboring states. If you do not agree with our FC levels, please petition MassDOT to change the rating they've assigned.
Do NOT make random changes on your own.
Functional Classification
Functional Classification updates in Massachusetts have been completed. This will ensure a consistent, and better navigational experience to Wazers around the state and country. The general guidelines for implementation are in the Road types page. Any local deviations, and special information for Massachusetts will be listed below.
In Massachusetts, a road designated "Private Way" indicates that it has not been accepted by a municipality to bear the expense and responsibility for maintenance and improvement. However, the public is generally still allowed the right of access onto private ways, and therefore these roads are typically set as "Street" type and should not routinely be set as "Private Road" type.
Please see forum post at Private Road vs "Private Way", and contact a Massachusetts State Manager if you have questions.
Details of MassDOT Functional Classification Standard
MassDOT currently maintains two completely separate Functional Classification systems. The state level system has been developed by the MassDOT Planning Division, and consists of 6 Road Types.
The Federal Functional Classification system is the Nationwide standard, and consists of 7 Road Types. The major difference between the two is that the Federal FC classifies limited access arterials (non-Interstates) separate from full-access arterials.
MA to Waze FC conversion
We are utilizing the Federal Functional Classification system, because it matches up with other states.
The Massachusetts Classification and Color scheme come from the official Massachusetts D.O.T (MassDOT) Federal Functional Classification (FC) map that is published by MassDOT. The legend shows what classifications MassDOT uses and what color is assigned to each class.
Please refer to the GIS FC map found here, on the massDOT FC Maps webpage.
MassDOT to Waze conversion table
The numbers correspond to the Federal FC type indicated. (e.g. Federal Class 4 road is a Minor Arterial)
Occasionally it makes sense to deviate from what FC should be.
Here are the segments that are approved to be different than what they should be.
Please contact State Management if you have questions.
Locking Standard
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.
Roadway Naming
Massachusetts follows the US Road Naming conventions for Interstate, US and State routes, with the following considerations.
The naming format for Numbered State Highways in Massachusetts is "SR-###".
State alternate routes have signage of "###A". Do NOT use the style employed for US alternate routes "US-### ALT" when naming state alternate routes. Instead, use Waze names of the form SR-###A. Example: "SR-2A"
Cardinal Direction indicators will be used in accordance with National standards, except in the following situations:
Undivided US Highway/State Highway
US Highway with a primary name other than "US-##"
State Highway with a primary name other than "SR-##"
City Names on Freeway Segments
If a road segment is classified as a Freeway, there shall be No City Names listed, as well as no Alternate Names.
For the "Mass Turnpike," we add the name "Mass Pike" to the on-ramp name.
City Names on MH/mH Numbered Highways
With the exception of Freeway segments (as mentioned above) all road segments should have a Primary city name assigned to them.
Street Name as Primary NameThe Primary Street name shall be whatever name is in common usage in that area. (Check business addresses, GIS, etc). If the Primary Name is an actual Street Name (Main St, etc), please add the "SR-##" to the Alternate Name field, with no City name.
State Route as Primary NameHowever, 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)
If a Major/Minor classed segment is not a numbered highway, there should be no alternate names listed.
Clear as mud? Contact the State Manager if you need help figuring this out.
PS and Lower
List the Primary street name, and city. No Alternate names are to be listed.
Named Roadways
These are named highways in Massachusetts which also carry numbered designations. Some are simply names of streets which carry a numbered route(s). Roads named after people/organizations were generally done so ceremoniously, after the numeric designation(s) already existed. Others carry more general names, such as the Southeast Expressway and Central Artery in Boston (which both refer to the same continuous span of I-93).
Several named highways cover the entire length of a given route in Massachusetts; for example, all of Interstate 90 in Massachusetts is the Massachusetts Turnpike, and the entire length of Route 213 is the Loop Connector.(*) denotes that the named highway spans the entire length of the numbered route in the state.
Speed Limit Sign Speed limit data added to segments in the WME is used in the Waze app to display an app user's speed relative to the speed limit. In addition, the app notifies users if they exceed a speed limit designated on the Waze map.
The ONLY speed limits added to the map must match federal, state, and municipal laws or regulations that designate maximum speeds for passenger vehicles.
Any highway ramp with speed limits posted on the regulatory black and white signs should be added to the road segments in the WME. Ramps with advisory speed signs, as shown below, should have no speed limit in the WME.
Advisory Speed Plaque
Turn Advisory
Exit Advisory
Exit Sign Plaque
Freeway segments that contain toll booths will not have speed limits designated as there may be different limits in individual lanes. Waze does not currently support the identification of transponder lanes and the like. Also, the affected segments may be short in length so that the app might not be able to signal a drop in speed limit before users are at the toll booth.
Speed limits that are designated on private property may be added to road segments on the Waze map at the discretion of the regional coordinator or state manager(s).
Speed Limits are added to parking lot and private road types by changing type to street, adding limits, then reverting to the original road type.
State Specific Laws
Massachusetts has specific laws pertaining to speed limits for areas that are not posted. Please refer to the following table below for guidance for speed limits on road segments with no signage. As of February 2016, there are currently no roads in Massachusetts that have a speed limit greater than 65 mph. If you have a question regarding the speed limit of an area please consult with your State Manager.
School Zones - Please review area for posted school zone, only if the zone is posted 24 hours a day should this be listed
30 MPH
Thickly Settled or Business District - Massachusetts General Law defines thickly settled as “an area where buildings are fewer than 200 feet apart for a distance of 1/8 mile or more.”
40 MPH
Outside of a thickly settled or business district for a distance greater than ¼ mile
50 MPH
On a divided highway outside a thickly settled or business district for a distance greater than ¼ mile
(a) Notwithstanding section 17 or any other general or special law to the contrary, the city council, the transportation commissioner of the city of Boston, the board of selectmen, park commissioners, a traffic commission or traffic director of a city or town that accepts this section in the manner provided in section 4 of chapter 4 may, in the interests of public safety and without further authority, establish a speed limit of 25 miles per hour on any roadway inside a thickly settled or business district in the city or town on any way that is not a state highway.
This bill also allowed "Safety zones" to be designated by municipalities at 20 MPH.
(a) Notwithstanding section 18 or any other general or special law to the contrary, the city council, the transportation commissioner of the city of Boston, the board of selectmen, park commissioners, a traffic commission or traffic director of a city or town that accepts this section in the manner provided in section 4 of chapter 4 may, in the interests of public safety and without further authority, establish designated safety zones on, at or near any way in the city or town which is not a state highway, and with the approval of the department if the same is a state highway. Such safety zones shall be posted as having a speed limit of 20 miles per hour.
Additional special regulations have been set by MassDOT in the following manner:
The WME and Waze app do not support Variable Speed Limits (VSLs) that are changed based on traffic and road conditions. These VSLs can be changed at any time by government officials. If there is a 'standard' speed limit at which the signs on a stretch of road are usually set, this 'standard' speed COULD BE added to the associated road segments in the WME. However, the setting of any speed limit on a road with VSLs must be done in consultation with the appropriate State Manager.
Variable Speed Limits
Unsupported Speed Limits
The following speed limits are unsupported by the WME and the Waze app, and MUST NOT be added to road segments in the WME. Road segments with posted 'advisory' speeds or special speed limits should continue the Speed Limit for passenger vehicles as posted on the black and white signs pictured above.
Advisory Speed Limits
In addition, yellow 'advisory' speed signs (as shown below) are usually not enforceable; therefore, 'advisory' speeds, like the ones shown below, should NOT be added to the waze map.
Advisory Plaque
Turn Advisory
Exit Advisory
Exit Sign Plaque
Special Speed Limits
As of February 2016[update], the WME and Waze App only support maximum speed limits for passenger vehicles, without variation for time of day, or day of the week. Specialty, also known as 'bannered', speed limits, like the ones shown below, should NOT be added to the Waze map.
Night Speed
Truck Speed
School Speed
Minimum Speed
School zone speed limits that are in effect 24 hrs per day, and 365 days a year, should be added to the map.
Special roads
Drivable roads
Massachusetts follows the standard USA guidelines for all of the following special road types.
This section only provides guidance in the state regarding whether or not a segment should be Private vs Parking Lot Road.
If a road is signed as "Private Property", "No Trespassing", or has a security gate on it, map it with a Private Road segment. Apartment complex driveways, parking lots, and everything else gets a Parking Lot Road (PLR) segment.
Please see discussion above regarding roads signed as a "Private Way" - which normally should NOT be set as a Private Road.
If you have any questions, please contact a State Manager.
Alleys
Alleys should always be mapped if they have a name.
Alleys should always be mapped if they are the sole access to a home or business.
Alleys should always be set to "Private" (Northeast regional standard)
Alleys are normally mapped if they are acknowledged by the municipality.
If an alley does not meet the above criteria, mapping is optional. Leave the name field blank.
Driveways
Please follow the following guidelines for Private Driveways. Wiki standard can be found here. Driveways
Mapping rural driveways
If an address/location cannot be reasonably guided to without a private drive, it can be added.
Single house at the end of a 1mi (1609m) private drive, and that's the only house, it probably isn't needed.
If it's 5 houses at the end of a single shared 1/4mi (402m) long private drive, it probably is needed.
If it's a house at the end of a 500m (1640 ft) long private drive which is right up against another street from which you cannot access the address (stop point will be on the segment closest), then a private drive is probably needed.
Walking Trails
They should only be used in rare cases. Walking Trails may have strange side effects on nearby routing. Never use the Walking Trail road type for ordinary hiking paths or bike paths. Most hiking and bicycling paths should not be on the map at all.
The WME lists the Walking Trail road type as non-drivable. Historically, editors have disconnected Walking Trails to make sure Waze doesn't route drivers over them. This doesn't always work as desired. If a disconnected Walking Trail comes closer to a destination than any other road, Waze may route drivers to a location nearer to the Walking Trail than to the destination. This problem can be severe for Walking Trails passing close to many destinations in a dense neighborhood. Connected or not, the Walking Trail type should never be used where effects on local routing are not desired.
Ferries
Massachusetts has scheduled ferry service between Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard. Please consult with the State Manager before making changes to the ferry system.
Turns, U-Turns and Turn Restrictions
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 State Manager.
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
Massachusetts uses the USA standard for toll roads as follows:
Roads with tolls can be indicated by checking the Toll road box on the road segment properties tab. Mark a segment as a toll road only if:
there is a toll booth, transponder reader, or other tolling device within, or at either end of the segment
Do not check the toll box setting for segments that lead up to the final toll segment even if they have no other exit except the final toll segment.
In the case of a bridge that is tolled in only one direction, divide the road where the toll is collected and mark only the segment with the toll booth as a toll road.
Rotaries (Roundabouts)
Massachusetts Transportation Departments have never met a roundabout they 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 State Mgr if you have a question.
Closures
When managing a section of roadway under construction or being closed for a major event, follow the Wiki guidelines on construction zones and Real time closures.
This is the list of long term closures in the state. They are either marked as closed in the Map, or they are disconnected, depending on the length of the closure.
If you have something to add, please contact the State Mgr.
Places
Massachusetts follows the USA standard for Places. Do not deviate from the guidelines without first obtaining consensus to do so via the state forum linked on this page.
Minimum Acceptable Information
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.
Phone Numbers
If a phone number is entered in the Place information, please utilize either of the following formats:
(###) ###-####
###-###-####
Please correct the layout of any phone numbers you encounter while editing.
Locking Standard
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
MBTA Subway and Commuter Rail Stations
3
City and Local Parks
2
All Places that have complete information (to include, 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.
If you do not have a high enough enough rank to lock the place as indicated, please lock it as high as you can, and notify a higher rank AM, SM, CM, or Champ to lock it higher.
Place Browser
Boston 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.
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. recent Panera and Subway campaigns)
Area MappingWhen creating an Area, map it to the "fence line" of the area.
For instance, if you are mapping a shopping center, this means that you map the area to cover the shopping center buildings, and the parking lots out to the outer ring road (if applicable). If there is no ring road, or for smaller shopping centers, map to the curb line.
If you are mapping a school, you would map out to the fence line (if visible) or to a reasonable distance from the school. Contact a AM, SM, CM, or Champ for assistance.
Hospitals / Urgent Care
Hospital MappingA special Category of Hospital / Medical Center is used for Hospitals, Medical Centers and Urgent Care facilities. ONLY Hospitals, Emergency Rooms, and places offering Urgent Medical Care should use this category. Clinics, and Medical offices which do not offer urgent medical care for Walk-Ins should use the Office, and any other appropriate category, instead.
Set the Stop Point over the Main Entrance to the facility. Additionally, map the Emergency Entrance with the same category name, but place it over the Emergency entrance location. ERs encompassed in a hospital Place Area should be Points, and named in the following fashion: E.R. - Hospital Name
Layered Areas
Places which are part of a larger encompassing place (i.e. place points for lot in a university area, Separate ER entrances in a hospital area, etc.) should be named with their unique name followed by a hyphen and the name of the larger area they belong to. For example "E.R. - Generic Medical Center"
Parking Lots
Massachusetts follows USA guidance for Parking Lots. In general, Parking Lot Areas (PLAs) should be added for all lots, including businesses with small parking lots (fewer than 10 spaces). Any improvements are helpful, but editors are encouraged to start with popular lots with heavy usage, map problem or update request flags and for MBTA stations; public (unrestricted) parking facilities including Park & Ride lots; and restricted lots (some restrictions apply, i.e. lots for customers or visitors only) associated with stadiums and event venues, shopping centers, etc.
Cameras
Not every camera-looking device at an intersection is a speed or red light camera. Generally speaking:
a speed camera takes a photograph of a vehicle when it passes by the camera at too high a speed.
a red light camera takes a photograph of a vehicle that enters an intersection after the light is red. In some areas, it takes the photograph when a vehicle is not clear of the intersection some period after the light turns red.
When adding a camera, be sure to review the camera placement recommendations.
Laws regarding speed and red light cameras vary between the states and territories, so be sure to understand the details of camera legality in Massachusetts.
Based on information researched at the time this page was created, Massachusetts does not have any laws regarding red light or speed cameras, therefore they may be present in the state.
No other camera types should be mapped in Waze.
To do list
Many states and territories keep an active list of pending or closed actions that need to be done in the state by the editors. All editors are welcome to contribute to the list of activities.
Don't EVER let it be said that there's nothing to do in Massachusetts (for editing, that is).
Our current priorities are:
Functional Classification
Ramp Name Standardization
Gas Stations
Place Name Harmonization
City Names Corrections
URs to update, PURs to approve. Tourist destinations to add and update. So on and so forth.
However, the Massachusetts/To do list has a county by county breakdown of Functional Classification updates that still need to be completed for Massachusetts.
Please, help out where you can..and ASK QUESTIONS!
Other
Working with URs
Massachusetts has adopted a 36hr/4/7 day standard when dealing with User Requests.
Our goal is to respond to new URs within 36 hours. Fix the issue and solve the UR (if within our control, and identifiable), or solicit additional needed information from the reporter.
If there is no response from the reporter within 4 days, "bump" the request with a reminder message.
If there is a response from the reporter, and a conversation starts about the error and how to resolve it, the 7 day clock starts over.
Resolve URs that have no response to comment in 7 days, or are completed. NEVER close a UR without leaving a closing comment, even if it's something as simple as "No info received, closing."
When responding to URs, please remember the wise words of the scholar, brevity is the soul of wit.
More than likely, the user is going to be reading your response in the Waze App, so try and keep it as short as possible, while still conveying the information, or request desired.
If you're editing in Massachusetts, we ask that you turn on the LIVE USERS layer in the editor. If you see another editor show up where you are editing, and move around you, please check WME Chat. Also, check and see if you have a Private Message (PM) in the Forum.
There may be an issue with the area you're editing in, or what you are doing.
The table below identifies the editors also designated as Area Managers or higher who are editing in Massachusetts. If you have any questions, please consider contacting them directly as needed. If you are an Area Manager that covers Massachusetts, or a USA Country Manager that does a lot of work in Massachusetts, please add yourself to this list (alphabetical by username) in the correct rank section.
The editor who also serves as the Regional Coordinator for Massachusetts is automatically listed at the top of the table. That editor may not be highly active in this state and therefore may not be listed separately in the table.
Massachusetts — Area, State, Country Managers, and Regional Coordinators
Live in the South End, work in Cambridge, often drive for Lyft all around the area.
The following editors are also editing in the state and may be working towards an Area Manager position. Feel free to contact them for assistance in their respective areas.
