A wayfinder is a junction that instructs users on a certain road how to continue on that same road, in situations where it may be unclear, and there would otherwise be no instruction. The simplest case of this is a surface road with half of its travel lanes splitting off to another road, half of its travel lanes continuing on the same road, and no overhead signs with extra information. A single turn instruction override can force an instruction to provide wayfinding for the continuing traffic.
However, most wayfinders are more complex than this and require "stub" segments to present information on signs along with turn instruction overrides to specify instructions. This page focuses on wayfinders in freeway interchanges and will explain criteria, configuration and different use cases.
Terminology
A travel lane is a lane which is long enough that a naïve driver might consider it a long-distance lane. For our purposes we will clarify this as any lane which;
before nearing the exit, is neither striped nor signed as a departing lane over a significant length (approximately ¾ a mile, or its full length, whichever is shorter), and
has not just started within a mile before the exit.
A continuation path or continuation is the group of lanes after the junction which continue to be the same road as they were before the junction. (In the following example, the lanes which continue to be I-47)
Criteria
An instruction should be given where it is unclear how to continue on the highway on which one is driving. Usually this is a keep instruction, but sometimes, as explained below, it should be a continue instruction. A wayfinder is warranted in the following cases:
The continuation path on a controlled-access highway or freeway, when an exit is present on the right side, has at least two fewer travel lanes after the exit than before it;
The continuation path on a controlled-access highway or freeway has fewer lanes than the exit path after the fork;
The continuation path on a controlled-access highway or freeway has the same number of lanes as the exit path after the fork, and the continuation path is unclear;
The continuation path on an uncontrolled highway, or when an exit is present on the left side of a controlled-access highway or freeway, has at least one fewer travel lane after the exit than before it;
The continuation path consists of a single lane; or
Other conditions exist that may suggest a fork, rather than an exit (use your better judgement, and discretion) -- for example:
The physical roadway itself forks or diverges with no clear straight-ahead direction;
The road which appears to be straight ahead is not the actual continuation;
Signage and striping do not clearly provide all expected "exit" indications, or do so inconsistently; or
Signs are present with arrows pointing left and right but no sign clearly establishes the continuation.
In these cases, we need to use a wayfinder configuration.
Configuration
Multiple methods exist for forcing instructions on highway continuations, such as matching the road type of both outgoing segments even where it creates a discontinuity or falsely using an alternate name on the non-continuation side to match the continuation side. Since Waze editors have the ability to create turn instruction overrides, the preferred approach is to use correct road types and alternate names, stubs named to match signage and turn instruction overrides where necessary. This includes preserving name continuity by adding route designations as alt names on continuation stubs. Name and road type continuity through wayfinders allows big detour prevention (BDP) to work properly, where applicable, and improves the overall appearance of the map.
Each wayfinder configuration will have one in segment and (usually) two stub or continuous out segments.
Each stub segment should be 19.69 ft (6 m) long. This is long enough so it will not cause routing problems, but it is short enough to suppress display of the names.
Unless a continue instruction is given the out segments should have a turn angle of 20° off of the mid-line on opposite sides of each other, consistent with the geometry for freeway forks. This will allow for easy identification in WME, but still look seamless in the client app.
To configure the wayfinder,
If the numbered/signed exit is on the right:
For an exit, on the continuation side use a keep left TIO into a named highway stub of the same type as the in segment and with in segment name as an alt name, and on the exit side use a standard ramp.
For a fork, on the continuation side use a keep left TIO into a named highway stub of the same type as the in segment and with in segment name as an alt name, and use an exit right TIO on the right side into a named highway stub, unless "keep right" seems more appropriate for the exit.
If the numbered/signed exit is on the left:
For an exit, on the continuation side use a keep right TIO into a named highway stub of the same type as the in segment and with in segment name as an alt name, and on the exit side use an exit left TIO into a ramp.
For a fork, on the continuation side use a keep right TIO into a named highway stub of the same type as the in segment and with in segment name as an alt name, and use an exit left TIO on the right side into a named highway stub, unless "keep right" seems more appropriate for the exit.
The following table assumes that the highway is a freeway:
Exit direction
Type
Left OUT configuration
Right OUT configuration
Example
Right
Exit
Continuation side "keep left" TIO → stub with alt name → fwy
Exit side ramp
Right
Fwy fork
Continuation side "keep left" TIO → stub with alt name → fwy
Exit side "exit right" TIO (where appropriate) → stub → fwy
Left
Exit
Exit side "exit left" TIO → ramp
Continuation side "keep right" TIO → stub with alt name → fwy
Left
Fwy fork
Exit side "exit left" TIO (where appropriate) → stub → fwy
Continuation side "keep right" TIO → stub with alt name → fwy
Continue instruction
With the creation of turn instruction overrides, continue instructions can be given. Where a keep or exit instruction would be misleading, a continue instruction can be given, as explained here. The turn instruction override page also has other use cases for the continue instruction on highways, most of which are not wayfinders (i.e. it is clear how to continue on the highway, but an instruction is nonetheless useful). Where a continue instruction is used to supplement a wayfinder, the geometry should match the instruction, so the departure angle of the continuing out segment should be close to 0°. To facilitate in-app closure reporting, the departure angle of any right or left out segments should also be increased with an extra geometry node to at least 20°.
Segment naming
Out segments should be named with the information displayed on the roadway signs.
Continuation segment naming
At a junction that contains a wayfinder, the continuation segment is the out segment that continues to carry the same road or highway that the in segment carries.
All road segments that continue an existing route must have the route name as either a primary or alternate name. In other words, if signage or circumstances dictate that the name of the continuation segment should be something that is not exactly the same as the name of the in segment, then the name of the in segment must be added to the continuation segment as an alternate name. For example, a wayfinder stub on a continuation segment carrying I-10 E which has the name "I-10 E / Lafayette / Baton Rouge" must also be given the alternate name "I-10 E".
If the continuation is signed, and a wayfinder is warranted,
If the continuation sign is exactly the same as the name or shield of the continuing road with no other information (e.g. the in segment is I-40 W and the continuation sign says "I-40 WEST" and nothing else), use a continuous road segment with the normal name of the road, rather than making a stub.
If the continuation sign contains the name or shield of the continuing road along with other information, do not use "to" at the beginning of the name of the out stub segment. e.g., a freeway fork where one side is the continuation of the same freeway (the user is already on the road, not going "to" it). Most wayfinders will fit this criterion. Add the continuing road as an alt name on the stub to preserve name continuity.
If the name of the continuation is included but is not listed first on the sign, move the name of the continuing road to the beginning of the segment name. (e.g. In this wayfinder the highway you are on now, and continuing on is I-275, so the segment name should be "I-275 N / I-74 E / US-52 E / Cincinnati".)
If the continuation sign does not contain the name or shield of the continuing road, then the road name should begin with "to".
If the word "TO" is explicitly included on the continuation sign,
Move the shields or names affected by the "TO" to the end of the segment name after a slash (/). (The example BGS shown is for the continuation of I-80, which leads to I-280, with a control city Morristown.)
If any included control cities or road names correlate only to the roads affected by the "TO", then those control cities or road names should be moved after the "/ to [road(s)] /" on the segment name.
If Morristown is served by I-280 and not by I-80, the continuation segment should be "I-80 / to I-280 / Morristown".
If any included control cities or road names correlate to the roads not affected by the "TO", then those control cities or road names should remain in place before "/ to [road(s)]".
If Morristown is served by I-80, the continuation segment should be named "I-80 / Morristown / to I-280".
If the continuation is not signed, and a wayfinder is warranted,
If the out segment is a continuation of the same road, use a continuous road segment rather than making a stub.
If the out segment is a short continuation of the same road leading to another road, name the segment starting with "to" followed by the name of the road to which the continuation leads, following these guidelines:
Where the wayfinder is just before, but not at, the termination of a road, so the continuation out segment is named for the road that the continuation leads to at the termination. However you still must travel for a short distance on the continuation of this road until those exits/termination. Our example here is a wayfinder on US-1-9 N (Truck), the left out is the continuation, however the right out also continues on the same road until it intersects with SR-440, with an exit to SR-440 S along this short segment. There are no roadway signs for any of these forks, or exits/terminations. The out segment here would be named "to SR-440 S / Communipaw Ave", and the SR-440 exit will be named following the unsigned exit guidelines. However it may be appropriate (if there are no House Numbers, or other on ramps past this wayfinder before it reaches the exit, to leave this entire portion with no name, and the instruction will inherit the name of the next road to which you are going.
Exit segment naming
At a junction that contains a wayfinder, the "exit segment" is the out segment that does not lead to the continuation of the road that the in segment carries. Whether signed or unsigned, numbered or unnumbered, the exit segment should be named according to standard exit naming guidance.
