Information related to using Waze in the USA State of New York.
Cities and Towns
The information in this section has not yet been researched.
There are x Cities and Towns in the state. See xxxx for proper naming information.
Road Classification Guide
See Road names/USA, Road types/USA and NY Road Naming Exceptions
Although some states are using their DOT Functional Classification chart as a means of determining road types, New York uses the following guidelines, based on the road's nomenclature and setup. We start with this basic matrix:
- Limited-access highways of significant length and/or with 3 or more interchanges: Freeway
- US Routes: Major Highway
- NY State Routes: Minor Highway
- County Routes: Primary Street
- Main urban thoroughfares that are not classified above: Primary Street
- Most other roads not mentioned above: Street
- Parking Lot Roads, Dirt Roads, etc. -- should be obvious
- For multiplexed routes, use the type of the higher (or highest) route on the segment (for example: where US-20 and SR-5 are multiplexed, use Major Highway instead of Minor Highway).
From this point, roads may be adjusted up or down the scale as indicated by the road's setup and usage. Examples:
- Most of SR-17 from Binghamton to Harriman is fully limited access; it is therefore typed as Freeway (except for one 5½-mile stretch of at-grade intersections between Sanford and Hancock, where it is typed Major Highway).
- US-11 north of Syracuse has largely been supplanted as a thoroughfare by I-81, and there are places where it is more advisable for it to be typed as Minor rather than Major.
- CR-56 in Steuben County is barely wide enough for two cars, has no appreciable shoulders, and is only rarely used; based on that, its type was downgraded to Street.
If you are having difficulty in determining what road type a particular section should have, feel free to contact NY's resident Country Manager and Waze Champ, Spil.
Landmarks
Landmarks should follow the guidelines from the state of Connecticut until the national standards are complete.
Major Construction Projects
See the New York forum for a list of long term road closures and changes to traffic flow that impact the Waze Map. New York City has a list of closures at [1]; some other counties have GIS systems that may provide useful information.
Special Roads
- Divided Highways
- Carpool, HOV, Transit lanes
- Roundabouts/Traffic Circles
- Cul-de-sac's
- Parking Lot Roads
- Toll Roads
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"
- 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.
Non-Drivable Roads
Generally, if a path can't be driven on (e.g. Walking Trail, Pedestrian Boardwalk, Stairway, Runway/Taxiway) then it is not normally mapped. If it is mapped, it should not be connected to any roads. "Emergency and Authorized Vehicles Only" and DOT Service Roads are to be treated as Non-Drivable roads as well. You primarily see these between interstate roads and other major freeways. If mapped, they should not be connected to any drivable road, the road type should be set as Private Road and locked at the highest rank of the editor. Because of the way the routing engine works, Waze will route users to drive on these "Non-Drivable" road types.
It is permitted to map Railroads since some users run Waze while on the train. This contributes false data to the system, and will affect nearby roads if Waze is "unaware" of the railroad path to assign it to. Otherwise the false data has been known to affect routing on adjacent roads. Railroads should be elevation -5 and locked at the highest rank of the editor up to 3 and should not be connected to any drivable road. Elevated railroad can be locked to level 9 instead, unless there are other elevated highways that pass over them.
Time Restricted Turns
The Waze Map Editor and routing engine supports scheduled restrictions (time of day, day of week, turns, traffic flow direction, vehicle type, etc.).
Please see the Scheduled Restrictions page for full documentation on this feature.
Speed / Red Light Cameras
Both Speed and Red Light Cameras are legal in New York State.
Speed Cameras
Speed cameras are only allowed in school zones
Red Light Cameras
Red light cameras are allowed in very large cities.
Other Camera Types
These are cameras or signs that either provide driver feedback or are used for traffic control. These devices CAN NOT issue tickets and should not be mapped.
To Do List
Want to help out with the map in New York? Check out the To Do List.
Mapping Resources
Area Managers
| Username | Area Managed | Comments | Forum PM
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 6 Country Managers | |||
| Spil | Southern Tier | PM | |
| Rank 5 Country Managers (NY Based) | |||
| bigbear3764 | area | comment | PM
|
| Rank 4 Area Managers | |||
| failsafe | area | comment | PM |
| qwaletee | Brooklyn | Also active around metropolitan area and Orange county | PM
|
| Rank 3 Area Managers | |||
| dmiller1984 | area | comment | PM |
If you are an Area Manager that covers the State of New York, or a USA Country Manager that does a lot of work in New York, please add yourself to this list (alphabetical by username).