User:Nzahn1/Lanes

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Lane guidance is a new Waze app feature that shows the user exactly which lanes they should use to make their next movement. This feature boosts Wazer confidence by providing reassurance in junctions both typical and unusual. Lane guidance data is added via the Waze Map Editor (WME). When a single segment is selected in the WME, an additional tab called Lanes is available. The Lanes tab allows map editors to tell Waze which lane to display to the driver for lane guidance in the mobile app.

There are some important considerations regarding lane guidance in Waze:

• Lane guidance does not affect routing - it is merely a visual feature.
• Lane guidance does not affect audio instructions, with the exception of u-turn instructions resulting from heuristics for intersections on divided roads.
• Lane guidance will only be displayed when a navigation instruction is given. If the best continuation is straight ahead, lane guidance will not be shown, unless there is a continue straight TIO.

As of 26 April 2020 (2020-04-26) The Lanes tab is only visible in the WME to rank 4 editors and lane guidance in the App is only visible to beta testers. The lane mapping feature of WME and the lane guidance feature of the mobile app are both still under development. Please check this guide frequently for updates to features and guidance.

As of 26 April 2020 (2020-04-26) The lane mapping feature of WME and the lane guidance feature of the mobile app are both still under development. Please check this guide frequently for updates to features and guidance.

Mapping guidance

What counts as a lane?

Q: How many lanes should you map at the end of a segment? What counts as a lane?
A: Map any lane that achieves full and consistent width BEFORE the turn itself. For a freeway exit lane, this means a lane that is full width BEFORE the gore point. If someone travelling in the right lane can continue straight without changing lanes, then map this as a straight/turn lane.
Consider what the road looks like to a driver - make the number of lanes in the lane guidance display conform to what the driver will see.

Freeway exits and other ramps

Example 1: Not a Separate Lane The exit lane does not reach full width until the gore point; map as part of the rightmost continue-straight lane.

Example 2: Not a Separate Lane The exit lane does not reach full width until the gore point; mapped as part of the rightmost continue-straight lane.

Example 3: Separate Lane When the exit lane reaches full width before the gore point, map it as a lane separate from the rightmost continue-straight lane.

Example 4: Separate Lane When the exit lane reaches full width before the gore point, map it as a lane separate from the rightmost continue-straight lane.

Center two-way left-turn lanes

Center two-way turn lane: Separate turn lane if a left is allowed; no turn lane if left is not allowed.

Many two-way streets have a center lane marked as a two-way left turn lane (TWLTL), also known as a ‘suicide lane’ or ‘chicken lane’. In the US, this lane is bordered on either side by two yellow lines - the inner line is broken or dashed, the outer line is solid. Pavement marking arrows may or may not be present. Where lane guidance is applied and the left turn lane is possible, these should be marked as separate left-turn lanes.

HOV or other restricted lanes

HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) restrictions or vehicle restrictions may sometimes only apply to a portion of the roadway. Only include these restricted lanes in lane guidance if they are available to users on the segment in question. In the example below, the bus lane allows for right turning vehicles to use the lane, so it is included in lane guidance.

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  HOV lanes that are on the same segment (not physically separated) should be included in lanes.

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  Bus, bike, or other restricted lanes should be included. In this case, right turns are allowed from the bus lane, so it is shown as a right turn lane.

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  In this case, the bus lane (red, center) is the only lane that proceeds straight ahead. It should be included, as it will be shown (though faded) to drivers when they are directed using the outside lanes to turn left or right.

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  The HOV lanes is clearly visible to all traffic, and would be considered by most drivers to be a lane, it should be included in the count of lanes at the segments ending at the exit.

When to map lanes

Generally, lanes should be mapped where there is more than one lane and only a subset of the lanes (one or more) is available for turns. Also lanes should be mapped in potentially confusing locations where lane guidance can significantly improve safety and the driver experience.

When the driver needs to choose the correct lane

Any time there are two or more lanes AND an instruction is given at the node. In the example below, the street running east/west has only two lanes in either direction, but only one of those lanes may turn south onto the side street. Lane guidance should be added.

To clarify which road to take

Before now, Waze could not show the driver the difference between slight, 90°, and sharp turns. Without lanes, intersections with multiple right or multiple left turns could be confusing to drivers. Lane guidance can clear up this confusion by showing drivers whether to take, for example, the slight turn or the sharp turn.

This situation is generally the only place where it is useful to add lanes where there is only one lane in the relevant direction of travel.

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  example 1

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  example 2

When the driver needs reinforcement or reassurance for safety

For this freeway off-ramp onto a one-way roadway, reinforce “no left turn”; either lane is fine.

There are some cases where lanes should be added to reassure drivers that they need not switch lanes, or that they may not turn from the lane they are in. In the example below, both lanes of the highway off-ramp must turn right. Drivers have no choices. Lane guidance should be added to reassure drivers in the left lane that they need not change lanes and to reinforce the prohibition on the left turn to reduce the chance of them making a wrong-way turn.

When not to map lanes

When drivers have no choice

suburban local streets typically don't have multiple lanes, and don't need lane guidance.

Generally, don’t add lanes when there is only one lane, or at a node where no instruction is to be given. An exception to this general rule is at confusing intersections and interchanges where the driver needs reassurance that a lane change will not be necessary before the next turn or exit maneuver, or reinforcement that what might look like a valid turn is not allowed (see the reinforcement and reassurance example above).

Merges and new lanes

Waze does not offer lane guidance for a reduction in the number of lanes.

Lane guidance is not appropriate for freeway lane reductions that do not occur near an interchange

When to override lane arrows

See How Waze selects lane arrows for information on the default turn arrows Always review the lane arrows displayed in the Lanes pane carefully once you have applied your edits. Use override when it makes sense to do so, and leave the “waze selected” setting in place otherwise. Do what makes sense to the person in the driver’s seat - choose the arrow which is going to make the most sense to the driver based on what they are going to have to do (continue straight, u-turn, slight right, etc) and what they are going to see as they approach the intersection or interchange where they need to make the maneuver. When you change the arrow associated with one outgoing segment, check the remaining segments. In general, do not use the same arrow for more than one outgoing segment

How Waze selects 'Waze Selected'

Waze Selected lane arrows are displayed for us both in the edit dialog (to the left of the checkboxes for each outbound segment) and in the Lanes pane (once changes are applied). Expand for more information...

The determination is mostly simple and mostly based on angles. Consider there is a pizza pie on the map. Cutting the pizza pie into 8 slices, outbound segments in the top slice (i.e., turn angles from 0° up to 22.5° either way) might show straight, slight left, or slight right depending on context; the top-left and top-right slice (i.e., turn angles from 22.5° to 67.5° either way) will show slight left or slight right arrows; the left slice and right slice (between 67.5° and 112.5°) will have regular turn left or turn right arrows; and the bottom 3 slices (between 112.5° and 180°) will have sharp left/sharp right arrows. Capische? Mamma mia. Regarding the top slice, when there is only one outbound segment within the <22.5° slice, that segment will get the “straight” arrows. However, if multiple segments exist within this slice, some form of the “best continuation” analysis is used to determine which one gets the straight arrow, and other arrows in that slice get slight left or slight right arrows. If there is no “best continuation”, then the segment that is closer to 0° gets the straight arrow, and the other one(s)]]