Massachusetts/Special roads/Main

Private Rds vs PLRs

There is a whole section of the national wiki regarding the "Private Road" road type.

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.