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Revision as of 19:22, 9 May 2017

Welcome to the South Central Region (SCR) Wazeopedia. Below you will find information related to editing for Waze in the South Central Region, which includes the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. All editors in the region are required to have a non usa_username, have their private messaging turned on, and turn live users on in the layers menu. Do not edit in Invisible mode if you are a rank 3 or below.

Getting Started as an editor in the South Central Region

Want to help out with the map in the South Central Region? Add missing streets, solve Update Requests (URs), improve place details, etc - ask questions to anyone listed at the bottom of the page, and seek out advice when/where needed. Before you get started, though, please review the rest of this page and ensure you adhere to the rules for editing.

Key Wazeopedia Links

If you haven't already done so, please be sure to review the following links before and as you begin editing (we recommend bookmarking them!):

This South Central Region page you are currently on
The Waze map editor welcome page
The map editing quick start page
Edits to avoid
The Waze glossary
The WME interface and controls
How to create a PermaLink (you will need to know how to do this when working with others)

There are additional links at the bottom of this page that will be of interest once you are editing on an on-going basis.

Editing Rank and Permissions

As you advance in rank, new editing abilities will become available and you will have permission to do new things. Editors at all ranks are encouraged to provide level unlocks in their editing area and to informally mentor other local editors. The following table lists editing permissions added at each rank divided into permissions inherent to the WME editor and permissions based on our South Central Region-specific lock levels.

Rank	WME Permissions	SCR Locks: Roads	SCR Locks: Places
1	Places, PLAs, HNs, RPPs, Start MTEs	Local Streets
2	Force HNs	Primary Streets, Private Roads	RPPs
3	Set Road Closures, Link Places to Google, Lock Harmonized Places/Area	Minor Highways	Most Places, Gas Stations
4	Set Routing Preference	Major Highways	Hospitals/Urgent Care, Government buildings, Large Areas (State Parks)
5		Freeways, Ferries
6

While rank is marginally tied to the number of edits you have, that is by no means the only factor taken into consideration. After the initial advancement from R1 to R2, additional advancement will occur at the discretion of the regional leadership team. Questions about your rank and advancement can be directed to your state managers, found in the table below.

More information about your editor rank and points in the Waze app (and the difference between the two) can be found here.

Navigating the Waze Environment

Finding Your Waze Profile Information

To find your editor profile, which lists your rank, points, number of edits, recent edits, and shows your editing area, go to https://www.waze.com/user/editor/<your user name>.

To find your overall Waze dashboard, which shows your edit count, but also your total points, miles driven, etc., go to http://www.waze.com/dashboard and it will redirect you. You can learn more about the dashboard here.

To learn more about how you earn points in both the client application and as an editor, go to Your Rank and Points.

Working in the Waze Map Editor

Language Settings

When first working in the Waze Map Editor (WME), make sure you are set to use US English. To do so, click on the Gear icon on the tab on the left side, the choose US English from the dropdown menu. This will ensure you are working with the correct set of category names for our country.

Working on User Reports (URs)

Update Requests in Waze Map Editor

Response Timeline

(NOTE: all day values are relative to the date the FIRST editor response is sent to the reporter)

Day 0

The first editor who is able to respond to a User Report (UR) should attempt to resolve the UR. This is considered Day 0. If they are successful, they should comment as such in the UR and mark it "Solved". If more information from the reporter is required to make progress towards closure, a response should be sent to the reporter containing the information needed for resolution.

Day 8+

URs may be noted as closed due to lack of reporter response at any time, provided at least seven full days have elapsed since the request for additional information was sent. These need to be marked as "Not Identified" and a brief comment sent.

Shared Ownership

All editors are considered to have equal ownership of and responsibility for all URs within their editing area. All editors, regardless if they have worked the UR previously, may send either of the responses described above, provided they adhere to the minimum time spacing guidance between responses and make their best effort to work the UR correctly. All editors are explicitly encouraged to attempt to resolve URs at any point during their lifecycle, however if someone else appears to be actively working it, you are encouraged to reach out to them to avoid duplicating effort.

You are encouraged to reach out to higher-level editors for mentoring when working on advanced URs.

Notes

The script URComments streamlines the process of responding to a UR and provides comments based on the UR type and can be edited prior to sending to fit your needs. Highly recommend you install this script if you will be responding to URs.

Communicating with other editors

Slack

We encourage you to join Slack as this is the best way to chat with SCR and state-specific editors, as well as the state managers (SM) and regional coordinator (RC), request unlocks, get help, etc. Once you receive the Slack invitation, there are several different channels you can join.

#scr-general - Automatically joined: This channel is for all editors who are interested in editing anywhere in the South Central Region
#arkansas, #louisiana, #mississippi, #oklahoma, #texas: State-specific channels for editors working in those states. This is the primary location for unlock and help requests.
#off-topic: - Automatically joined: Channel for casual conversation with your fellow editors.
#closure-requests - Automatically joined: Use this channel if you have closure requests that are not getting seen in your state-specific channel. If you post your closure request in this channel, make sure to remove from the State channel to prevent duplicate work.
#special-events - Automatically joined: Use this channel if you need to report special events that will need attention in WME from local or senior editors. This channel is also used during major weather events that are causing many road closures.

As you continue to edit in the SCR, you may be invited to private channels now and then for different activities such as map raids and other projects. You may also use Slack to direct message one or more users if you wish to talk directly with someone. We highly recommend posting editing questions in your corresponding state channel, however, as we are all constantly learning, and your question may help someone else too.

WME chat window

Please pay attention to the chat window in the lower left-hand part the map editor (and introduce yourself if you're a first-time editor). You can find useful info there and ask questions.

Waze Forum

You can also find useful information in the US South Central forum or the various state forums.

Google Hangouts

While the South Central Region does not use Google Hangouts (GHO) as a primary means of communication, other regions do, so if you edit outside our region, you may sometimes end up in a GHO chat on occasion. When an editor is traveling to another state, it is appropriate to go to that State’s Wazeopedia Page and to send a Waze Private Message (PM) to those State Managers (SMs). This way they’ll know you are coming to their area as an editor, and they’ll send you an invitation to their GHO forum.

States, Counties and Parishes, and Localities

States in the South Central Region

Arkansas

Arkansas is divided into 75 counties and contains 502 incorporated municipalities consisting of cities and towns. See Cities and Towns in Arkansas for the proper names to use.

Louisiana

Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes, which are equivalent to counties, and contains 308 incorporated municipalities consisting of four consolidated city-parishes, and 304 cities, towns, and villages. See Municipalities in Louisiana for the proper names to use.

Mississippi

Mississippi is divided into 82 counties and contains 299 incorporated municipalities consisting of cities, towns, and villages. See Municipalities in Mississippi for the proper names to use.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is divided into 77 counties and contains 597 incorporated municipalities consisting of cities and towns. See Cities in Oklahoma for the proper names to use.

Texas

Texas is divided into 254 counties and contains 6386 cities and towns. See Cities in Texas for proper names to use.

How to use city names in Waze Map Editor

City limits are clearly defined by roadside signs. Use of Google Maps to find where a city is highly discouraged. Be sure to have the Cities layer enabled in WME to see what Waze currently has as the incorporated city limits when working with city limits. See City Names for complete information, but a quick summary of how cities names are used is shown below:

Road segments

When creating or editing road segments, the primary segment should include the official city name as defined by roadside signs (or official GIS, if available and needed). If the road segment is in an unincorporated area, check None to indicate no city. Alternate segment names can be added with common city names to aid in searches. Use the USPS zip code lookup tool to find the correct alternate city name for the area. Road segments should be cut at the city limits so each segment accurately reflects the correct city value.

Roads in Places

When creating or editing places, the location should include the name of the city as listed on the place website or advertisement since this is what the users are most likely to recognize when searching for the correct location among a list of search results. Cities listed in places do not have any effect on city boundaries in the Waze application.

Roads in the South Central Region

Interstates in the region

Arkansas / Louisiana / Mississippi / Oklahoma / Texas

Road naming

Use the following designations when creating or editing numbered roads in the South Central Region.

	AR	LA	MS	OK	TX
Interstates	I-XX	I-XX	I-XX	I-XX	I-XX
US Highway	US-XX	US-XX	US-XX	US-XX	US-XX
State Highway	AR-XX	LA-XX	MS-XXX	SH-XX	SH-XX
State Loop	AR-XX LOOP			SH-XX LOOP	Loop XX
State Spur	AR-XX SPUR	LA-XX SPUR		SH-XX SPUR	Spur XX
State Park Road					Park Rd XX
State Rec Road					Recreational Rd XX
County Road	CR-XXX	Parish Rd XX	CR-XXX	Varies by Cnty	CR-XX
Farm/Ranch to Market					FM XX/RM XX
Private Road					Private Rd XX

Business Roads All business roads should be suffixed with BUS:

Business Interstate = I-XX BUS
Business US Highway = US-XX BUS

Other road names

The South Central Region conforms to the USA Standards for TTS abbreviations for prefixes and suffixes. Please see the Road Naming Abbreviations & Suffixes page for more details.

Non-drivable roads

Generally, if a road can't be driven on (e.g. Walking Trail, Pedestrian Boardwalk, Stairway, Ranch road in the middle of nowhere), then it should not be mapped in the South Central Region. We have chosen to implement this guideline because due to the way the routing engine works, Waze WILL route users to drive on these "Non-Drivable" road types.

Railroads mapped in the South Central Region should follow the current standard of editing. All crossings should be connected to drivable segments accordingly. If no crossing exists, elevate the segment accordingly.

ONLY enter a name for the railroad segment if the tracks are historical in nature, a major landmark, or a routine destination for Wazers. In the SCR, very few segments should be named and most 'routine destinations' will be covered by a Place point/area for the train station.

The Waze app now renders railroad tracks as such so naming serves little purpose any longer.

Special roads

When not to divide a two-way road
Divided Roads
Carpool, HOV, Transit lanes
Roundabouts and Traffic Circles
Cul-de-sacs
Dirt Roads. In the South Central Region ALL roads that are unpaved or gravel are considered dirt roads as this is how GPS Nav users (any brand) expect the "Avoid Dirt Roads" feature to behave. These roads should be deleted when going through farm land, ranch land, or mountainous areas throughout the state, as they are most likely base import roads and not real roads. For roads which are labeled with names and are actually dirt on SATIMG, please keep these and make them dirt roads. To do so, select the Local Street or Private Road type (as appropriate), then check the Unpaved box.
Parking Lot Roads. Map parking lot roads (PLRs) that will allow proper navigation in to and out of a parking lot. A primary routing purpose for PLRs is to connect a parking lot that has entrances along two or more different named roads, to enable shorter / faster routing to a destination. The SCR standard for PLRs is to enable U-turns at the ends of each PLR segment. In the Waze app, U-turn-enabled PLR segments will support drivers that need to double-back on a segment. This will allow Waze to quickly route drivers who need to exit any parking lot the same way that they came in. This SCR guidance is true for gas stations, strip malls, shopping areas, and other PLAs where a PLR is appropriate. Remember that a parking lot area (PLA) does not substitute roads needed for actual navigation. While it is important to map appropriate PLRs, please follow guidance and do not add PLRs which are not necessary.
Toll Roads. Only segments that actually contain a toll gantry should be marked as Toll.
Frontage roads. Name as "Frontage Rd" unless the corresponding highway has an alternate name. I-635 Frontage roads are labeled as "Lyndon B Johnson Freeway" as that is the local name for I-635.
Alleys and driveways are generally not mapped unless they are required for navigation. See Driveways for more information.
Any road which is a main road for a state park can be a Primary Street . Other roads can be Local Street .

Turnarounds and Median U-Turn Segments (MUTIs)

Turnarounds Turnarounds (those labeled as Turnaround, not crossovers), should be classed as Local Street .

Median U turn segments (Louisiana) Dedicated median U-turn segments in the New Orleans metropolitan area (at least) should be unnamed.

A turn instruction override should be used such that a "U-turn" instruction is given when entering the U-turn segment.

For curved segments, the geometry of the segment should be set such that no instruction is given when leaving the U-turn onto the road. For straight segments, a turn instruction override may be used as well, set to "None".

Segment and turn restrictions

Information about setting partial restrictions on time or vehicle type on roads.

Information about soft and hard turns, turn restrictions, and time-based turn restrictions.

Functional Classification of Roads

The South Central Region participates in functional classification across all states. We promote a hybrid FC to ensure for the best routing possible for all Wazers. The hybrid FC basically means a state highway would never be typed less than Minor Highway (mH). See Road types and Road names to learn more about various road types and how functional classification applies.

Frontage roads

All frontage roads running along freeways and major highways should be set to Minor Highway .

In cases where a Wazer would go from Fwy > Ramp > Frontage Rd > Major , the Frontage Rd would be set as Minor with the Routing Type changed to One type higher or Preferred. This moves that section of road up in classification within the routing server but for appearance purposes, it keeps it as a Minor . Small sections of Frontage Rd which just run parallel to a freeway and provide no entrance/exit to/from the freeway will match FC or be no higher than PS . Only those rank 4 or higher can set the Preferred/One type higher routing flag. Once this flag is set, certain edits on the segment will be limited to those R4 and higher.

Turnarounds

Turnarounds (those labeled as Turnaround, not crossovers), should be classed as Local Street .

Functional Classification by State

Use the appropriate link below to access the correct Waze Functional Cross Reference chart and state DOT Functional Classification map for the state you are working in. Once you have reviewed the map, refer to the FC cross reference chart below to determine what road type and lock level should be assigned to the roads in the area. For roads that need to be locked at a higher level than you are able, change the street to the correct type, then request a lock from a higher-level editor.

State	WAZE FC X- Reference	State DOT FC Map	Notes
Arkansas		AHTD FC Overlay for ArcGIS	The AR FC map is an overlay added to the base ArcGIS map. To use the overlay, click on the "Modify Map" in the upper right corner of ArcGIS. On the left side an "Add+" tab will pop up. Click on it and select "Add Layer from Web" and paste in the URL for the overlay provided by the link to the left. If you have never used ArcGIS before, you may be asked to create a Public Account.
Louisiana		LaDOTD Interactive Online Map	Static FC maps are also available if desired.
Mississippi		MDOT	Click on Functional Class Maps to find the various FC maps available.
Oklahoma		ODOT	Look in the middle of the page to find links for Rural Functional Class maps and Urban Functional Class maps.
Texas	TX FC Chart	TxDOT Statewide Planning Map	Select Functional Classification & Urban Areas in the left menu to turn the FC overlap on.

FC issues on State Maps

If you find any issues where FC changes unexpectedly such as in the image (the small section of green in between 2 red sections), please let the Regional Coordinator (RC) know exactly where this is located, so the appropriate DOT can be notified.

Road Lock Standards

In the South Central Region, 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. If you find a road locked to a higher level than its minimum, please leave it locked no lower than that level when you have finished editing.

Segment Type	Lock Level
Freeway	5
Ramp	4
Major Highway	4
Minor Highway	3
Primary Street	2
Local Street	Automatic (1)
\|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\| Railroad \|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\|-\|	2
• • • • Ferry • • • •	5
Private Road	2

Speed Limits

Please familiarize yourself with the information on the Speed Limits Wazeopedia Page.

Where speed limits change

Speed limits should change where they legally go in effect for your state, that may be at the sign, a specified distance before the sign, or the nearest intersection. When a speed limit changes in the middle of a segment, a new junction should be added to support the SL change.

However a new junction should never be added for a SL if it will be within 200 feet of an existing junction, or potential junction.
A new junction should always be added if it will be more than 1,000 feet from the nearest existing or potential junction.

Creating a new junction for a speed limit change

When creating a new junction solely for the sake of showing a speed limit change, you can attempt to get more value from the junction. Survey the area around the speed limit change, determine if there is a PLR or other segment which should be connected to the road and would result in a junction. You may find that there's a parking lot which could benefit from being added to the map within the allowable distance of 200 feet (or more depending on your area) to where the SL changes. In such a case connect that segment and use that junction. Otherwise you should create a new junction to show where the SL changes.

On roads where traffic for one turn direction typically backs up waiting to make the turn further than 200 feet, and traffic going straight or turning the other direction does not have to wait as long to pass through, turn delays can be affected even with the new junction 200 feet away. In these cases you may choose to extend the buffer zone to beyond the point where traffic backs up, and instead make the change at an existing junction node. These situations are governed by editor discretion and local guidance.

Click Expand for details on the rationale behind these rules.

It is very important that we do not create new junctions too close to existing intersections, yet marking the speed limit change too far can have a negative impact on the user experience.

The minimum distance of 200 feet was chosen because a distance less than that is negligible, and unnoticeable in the client experience. It is not much different than the delay we expect with GPS lag and error anyway. For example think of where you hear the turn prompts announced, they can sometimes precede a junction by up to 200 feet.

We have confirmed directly with the routing developers that adding a junction node connecting only 2 segments does not have an associated routing penalty. We have also confirmed that creating and adding new junction nodes where necessary using these above guidelines will not have a negative effect on route calculation.

However there is a legitimate concern when adding new junctions too close to existing intersections / interchanges, that they may interfere with and pollute the ability for Waze calculate accurate turn delays.

The reason to use a minimum of 200 feet from the nearest junction as a buffer is to account for turn delay calculations. If we create junction nodes very close to intersections we will effectively eliminate Waze's ability to differentiate the time it takes to go straight, vs the time to turn left or right. A distance of less than 200 feet between junctions poses a significant risk to the ETA calculations (turn delays). Over 200 feet it is up to local practice , and the editor's discretion to determine if a junction node there will negatively impact turn delay calculations. We must stipulate a minimum buffer zone, but it doesn't need to be exact. The area between 200-1,000 feet is open to interpretation, editor discretion, and local guidance.

If an exit or turn lane does back up over 1,000 feet, it is unlikely that traffic beyond the 1,000 mark will be drastically affected by the new junction placed that far away. However specific exceptions with the consultation of Regional Coordinators, or State Managers will always be allowed.

The turn delay issue could potentially be mitigated by adding Junction Boxes to each of these situations to correct them. However doing so would result in a lot more work for editors, and a lot more strain on the servers. It would make it harder to manage these intersections since all the included segments, and turns get locked from editing. It will have an effect on route calculation timing as well. We therefore had to come up with a compromise that is still visibly accurate, without anything being noticeably different to the client user, yet maintaining the ability for Waze to calculate proper ETA timing through intersections.

Work zones

Speed limits in work zones are often lowered to protect workers and prevent collisions. If these speed limits appear on regulatory black and white signs, they MAY be added to the associated WME road segments. Speed limits should only be changed in work zones when the change will be in effect for at least 30 days. Add the construction zone speed limit to the affected segments and place a [CONSTRUCTION] note on the map listing the official speed limit so when construction is complete, an editor can easily reset the speed limit.

Places

See the Places page for general information on editing places. Keep in mind, however, that the SCR-level guidance below takes priority over national-level guidance on categories, point vs. area, etc.

Information for Places

Places should be completed as fully as possible anytime they are created or updated. At a minimum, editors should:

verify correct spelling of the name, using the guidelines below
complete the address, to help when choosing among search results in the app
ensure the correct location of the Point or Stop Point, to guide drivers to the correct location. Note that this may not always be on the street side of the location.

If possible, editors should look online to find additional helpful information such as:

website
phone number, preferably formatted like (903) 654-3210 or 903-654-3210, so it will autodial properly
opening hours. If the place has different hours for different parts, the opening hours listed in the discrete data on the second tab should reflect the longest hours the location is open. Any shorter hours should then be listed in the description box on the first tab. (e.g. a Whataburger with a 24-hour drive-thru but shorter lobby hours would should show all-day in the opening hours on the second tab, and list the Lobby Hours in the description on the first tab.)

However, DO NOT COPY FROM WEBSITES as this is plagiarism and will not be tolerated. The most common form is copying straight from Wikipedia. Please refrain from copy/paste anything from websites into the description field. They will be removed when discovered.

Photos also help Wazers recognize the destination when they arrive, however, these can only be added from the app. Review the photos when approving a place to ensure they are not inappropriate.

Place Locking Standards

When completed, places should be locked, to prevent inadvertent damage. Please don't lock places to their highest level until most of their information is completed, but do lock to a level higher than 1 once you have verified any information to help protect from accidental damage through client submissions. The following are recommended (minimum) levels:

Place Type	Lock Level
Hospitals, universities, park and ride lots, arenas, airports	4
Police Dept / Fire Station / Government facilities	4
Large areas - (State Parks, if mapped, etc.)	4
Gas Station	3
Residential Place Points (RPPs)	2

Most other places should be locked at 3 once completed.

Place Naming Standards

We are standardizing the naming of most public facilities and businesses. This makes search results more consistent and useful, and gives Wazers a more professional and uniform experience. The names have been designed to work well with instant search, regular search, and to be clear and concise in the map display. Please follow these guidelines when naming the places described below.

Places which are part of a larger area place (e.g. place points for parking lots 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 "ER - Parkland Hospital"

Government Agencies

All places for the following agencies should be named according to the standards as follows:

City and County Offices: City or County Name followed by City Hall or department or agency as appropriate, for example:

"Dallas City Hall"

"Travis County Probation"

"Bexar County Courthouse"

Police and Sheriff's Departments: City, Agency or Division Name followed by "Police Station/Dept" or "Sheriff's Office/Dept" (should match signage), for example:

"Dallas Police Dept"

"Austin Police - North Substation "

"Tarrant County Sheriff's Dept"

"Travis County Sheriff's Office"

Fire Stations: Agency Name or abbreviation followed by “Fire Station – “ and the station number. For example:

"DFD Fire Station - 15"

"Austin Fire Station - 3"

"Whitehouse Vol Fire Station - 2"

Light Rail Stations: Start with the Agency, which line, followed by the station name. For example:

"DART Rail – Akard Street Station"

"DART Green Line – Fair Park Station"

In general, City Bus stops should not be mapped.

United States Postal Service: Start the name with CDP or Station name, then append “Post Office”. Place the City name and the ZIP code of the Post Office in the Description box, so it will be viewable in the app GO page. Alternate name should be “USPS” and "US Post Office". For example:

"Oak Lawn Post Office"

"White Rock Station Post Office"

Here is the USPS tool to find the names of specific post offices. https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorAction!input.action

US VA Hospitals/Centers/Clinics: Should be named with their official name as the primary name. For VA hospitals/medical centers "(US Veterans Only)" should be added to the end of the primary name and as the first line of the description. In the primary name, "VA" should be expanded as "Veterans Affairs", so as not to cause a TTS conflict with Virginia. Names can be shortened to remove extraneous words; for example, replace "Campus of the" from the official name with a hyphen (-). Any colloquial names should be added as alt names, so they are returned in search results, and also at the beginning of the description, so they are visible on the place preview page in the client. Some examples:

"Veterans Affairs - Healthcare Center at Harlingen (US Veterans Only)"

"Veterans Medical Clinic - McAllen"

"Veterans Affairs - North Texas Health Care System (US Veterans Only)"

Place Name Harmonization

These name spellings are standardized so that Wazers will receive consistent results when searching in the client. Please use them when you edit one of these chain or franchise businesses.

If you don't find the business you're looking for, please use this form to submit the missing information.

Fast food chains or businesses that can sometimes be nested inside other businesses should be labeled as such. For example, if a Starbucks is inside Target or a Subway is inside Walmart, you would list it as Starbucks (inside Target) or Subway (inside Walmart) as the primary business name. This will allow for Wazers searching for a Starbucks or Subway to immediately know they may be routing to a coffee shop or sandwich shop with no drive-thru or standalone business as they may want or expect.

Eating / drinking establishments at airports and known to be inside the secured area should not be added in Waze.

If inside a military installation or area of restricted access, these establishments can be added with the tag of (Restricted Access) ; for example: McDonald's (Restricted Access). This will still route Wazers to these businesses but it lets them know they must have the proper credentials to access the location.

View this list full-screen in Google Sheets

When to use Area or Point in the South Central Region

Here is the SCR guidance on selecting Area or Point for Places in the Waze Map Editor. All areas are to be landmarked from fence line to fence line to include all parking lots, roads, and anything associated with the property.

The Primary Category for a Place is used to determine whether to use a Point or Area.

View this list full-screen in Google Sheets

Place to Category Mapping

Most categories in Waze are self-evident, however, occasionally questions arise as to what category should be used to maintain consistency in search results across the region. Use the chart below when working with a place that is not part of a chain and you are unsure of the category.

Generic Place to Category Mappings
Type of Place	Point/Area	Category 1	Category 2	Notes
Apartment Complexes	Point	Lodging		Locate place point at main office. Use office hours if available.
Assisted Living / Nursing Homes / Hospice	Point	Lodging	Personal Care
Auto Parts	Point	Garage / Auto Shop
Dentists / Orthodontists	Point	Doctor / Clinic
Kiosks	NOT MAPPED			e.g. Red Box, Ice/Water stations, standalone ATMs, USPS Mailboxes
Learning Centers	Point	Offices
Liquor Stores	Point	Shopping and Services
Physician Offices	Point	Doctor / Clinic
Winery / Brewery	Point	Bar / Winery / Tasting Room	Tourist Attraction/Historic Site	Only use Tourist Attraction if it fits

Special Place Types

The following types of places have additional considerations you should be aware of before editing. Please be sure to read the linked Wazeopedia articles below before editing these place types.

Gas Stations

You should familiarize yourself with the gas stations wiki - specifically naming, branding, and stop points. Note the guidance in the Parking Lots section below.

Hospitals and Urgent Care Facilities

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the hospital and urgent care Wazeopedia site before creating or editing medical facilities.

Parking Lots

Parking Lot Guidance and Small Parking Lots. When using PLRs to connect two named streets, such as a corner lot, enable U-turns at both ends of the PLR segment. This way Waze can route a driver to exit the parking lot the same way they came in. When PLRs are part of a larger area Parking lot area, for example a strip mall, allow u-turns on the PLR segments at/near the exits of the PLA, so the app can quickly route drivers out with fewer route re-calculations.

Rest Areas

Rest areas

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.

Be sure to know your cameras before accepting new camera reports.

When adding a camera, be sure to review the camera placement recommendations.

Currently, the only way to add cameras to the editor is from the app. When placing a camera in the app, drop a general error with "RLC W" where W = the direction the camera is facing. This will allow other editors to know which way the camera is facing when they go to approve it in the editor.

The legality of red light and speed cameras varies by state. If you get a request for a camera type that is illegal in the state you are editing (or you find an already approved one), please remove it

Legend

Not Legal Statewide	NOT LEGAL
Legal in Certain Jurisdictions	SEE NOTES BELOW
Legal Statewide	LEGAL STATEWIDE
No State Law	[field is left blank]

State	Red Light Cameras	Speed Cameras
Arkansas	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
Louisiana	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
Mississippi	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
Oklahoma	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
Texas	LEGAL STATEWIDE	NOT LEGAL