Functional Classifications
Wisconsin follows the Functional Classification (FC) system for the USA.
To help update the current Wisconsin roadways to the new functional classifications, go to the Wisconsin Functional Classification Inventory.
Links to the FC maps for the state of Wisconsin can be found on the Wisconsin/Resources page.
Locking standard
The following defines a set of minimum locking standards proposed for all roads within Wisconsin. Any road of a certain type or category must be locked at least to the level in the chart below. Roads may be locked higher for protection and special situations (tricky design, frequent mistakes, imaging inaccuracies, and the like), but should not be locked lower.
It is understood that more rural or inactive areas may not yet meet this standard: editors are encouraged to recruit and mentor additional editors to build coverage.
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.
| Segment Type | Two-way | One-way | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeway | 5 | ||||||||||
| Ramp | Highest lock of connected segment | ||||||||||
| Major Highway | 3 | ||||||||||
| Minor Highway | 3 | ||||||||||
| Primary Street | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
| Street | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
| Private Road | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
| Parking Lot Road | 1 | 1see note | |||||||||
| • • • • Ferry • • • • | 5 | ||||||||||
| |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Railroad |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| | 2 | ||||||||||
| ⁃ ⁃ ⁃ ⁃ ⁃ Runway ⁃ ⁃ ⁃ ⁃ ⁃ | 5 | ||||||||||
| Other named types | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
| Construction (outdated imagery) | 3 | ||||||||||
| Waze Beacons installed | 6 | ||||||||||
Note: One-way PLRs used outside of parking lots, such as alleys and streets through apartment complexes, should be locked at 2. See the GLR major roads page for additional information on the standards listed here.
Name Normalization
Wisconsin will use the following standards for road naming:
Freeways - I-###
US Highways - US-###
State Highways - WIS-###
County Highways - CH-XXX
Forest Roads - FR-###
 |
There are no Township (Town) Roads in the state. All Town Roads are named, and those names will be used. The only exceptions would be if the road signage states differently. |
Additional notes for this state
Dirt Roads
In Wisconsin all drivable roads that are unpaved are considered Dirt Road/4X4 Trail; this is how drivers expect the "Avoid Dirt Roads" feature to behave. Note that Functional Classification WILL override the Dirt Road type. Set those roads to their proper PS, mH, MH, FW type.
Toll Roads
There are currently no toll roads in Wisconsin. No segments within the state of Wisconsin should be marked as 'Toll Road'.
Pedestrian Boardwalk, Walking Trail, Stairway
These should not be mapped without approval from a State Manager for Wisconsin or the Regional Coordinator. These segment types can cause routing issues even when not connected to a drivable segment.
Solid White Lines
It is not illegal to cross a solid white line in the state of Wisconsin, unless posted Wisconsin Statute 346.13(3).
Solid white lines such as road edge lines, lane divider lines, or on/off ramp lane lines. Even though it is not illegal, it is good safe driving practice to not cross these lines. When mapping on/off ramps, please follow national guidelines in the Junction Style Guide/Interchanges section.
There may be times when this is impractical, in such instances, contact a State Manager for further guidance.
Roundabouts at Freeway Interchanges
When there are roundabouts at freeway interchanges, leave the connecting overpass/underpass roads un-named. Waze will read forward to the next roundabout and provide proper TTS and visual prompts for the user to aid in proper lane selection at multi-lane roundabouts.
Here is an example of when not to name the segment(s): Do Not Name
U-Turns
U-turns in Wisconsin are permitted when:[1]
- The u-turn can be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic.
- Not upon any curve, or upon the approach to or near the crest of a grade, where the vehicle cannot be seen by the driver of any other vehicle approaching from either direction within five hundred (500) feet.
- Not explicitly prohibited by signage or local municipal law.
- You are not required to back up during the course of the u-turn in order to complete it.
For Waze routing, u-turns should only be enabled where they provide the potential for improved routing, which includes recovering from missed turns. A common example is a median-divided primary street that has homes/businesses with their driveways/entrances directly on it, where reaching them would otherwise require lengthy, multi-turn deviations through side roads in order to end up on the correct side of the median.
U-Turns are not allowed on any Freeway or Expressway.