Below are some approved mapping sources:
- Little Rock / Pulaski Area GIS (PAGIS) - Detailed maps (with overhead imagery, if desired) of Little Rock and some surrounding towns
- Arkansas GIS Office - Arkansas' Official GIS Platform
- ArcGIS State Map (Selectable Basemaps) - ArcGIS map with 12 selectable basemaps including Traffic and Imagery.
- Functional Classification Layer for ArcGIS - Add to ArcGIS Basemap linked above by clicking "Modify Map" in upper right corner of ArcGIS map, clicking on "Add" in upper left corner, then selecting "Add Layer From Web", then entering this URL.
- City Maps - Arkansas Highways City Maps
Functional Classification
The Arkansas Functional Class (FC) map is updated by the the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD). The AR Functional Class map follows the national FC categories; however, AHTD does not produce color-coded maps similar to some other states. Instead, AHTD creates and provides as an overlay layer to the ArcGIS map the FC categories using a numerical system. To determine a roads classification, one simply clicks on the road in question, which opens a pop-up window. This window includes a number of fields but for FC purposes, the two key fields are FUNCCLASS and RURALURBAN. The key / legend for these values is as follows:
- FUNCCLASS
1 - Interstates
2 - Other Freeways & Expressways
3 - Other Principal Arterials
4 - Minor Arterials
5 - Major Collectors
6 - Minor Collectors
- RURALURBAN
1 – Rural (population < 5,000)
2 – Small Urban (population 5,000 to 49,999)
3 – Urbanized (population 50,000 to 199,999)
4 – Large Urbanized (population >= 200,000)
Using the Functional Classification layer on the ArcGIS map and checking the qualifiers on the road, the Corresponding Waze Road Type is determined via the following two tables. For Arkansas, RURALURBAN value of 1 is considered Rural. Values of 2, 3 or 4 are considered Urban. The editor should check to see if a road is a Controlled-access highway to determine if it qualifies as a Freeway .
Road type quick reference chart
| Highway Systems | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate | US Hwy[a] | US Hwy BUS, SPUR, LOOP | State Hwy | Locally-maintained | |||
| example | I-40 W | US-63 | US-67 BUS | Ste Hwy 77 | W Capitol Ave | ||
| F u n c t i o n a l C l a s s |
Interstate | Fw | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Other Freeways and Expressways | n/a | Fw | Fw | Fw | Fw | ||
| Other Principal Arterial | n/a | Major | Major | Major | Major | ||
| Urban Minor Arterial | n/a | Major | Minor | Minor | Minor | ||
| Rural Minor Arterial | n/a | Major | Major or Minor [b] | Major or Minor [b] | Major or Minor [b] | ||
| Urban Collector | n/a | Major | Minor | Minor | PS | ||
| Rural Major Collector | n/a | Major | Minor | Minor | Minor or PS [b] | ||
| Rural Minor Collector | n/a | Major | Minor | Minor | PS | ||
| Local/not mapped | n/a | Major | Minor | Minor | Street | ||
^a This includes ALT, TRUCK, BYP, CONN, and SCENIC US routes.
^b Generally, default to the LOWER of the two choices. However, use the greater of the two choices if the road is between two urban areas and is classified higher in the urban area than in the rural one. If the road does not enter another urban area, then use the lower choice. Additional discussion and examples on how this should be applied can be found in this discussion: https://www.waze.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=596&t=102099&start=10
If the road is dirt, gravel, or otherwise unpaved, then the road should ALWAYS be marked as "Dirt / 4x4 Trail", regardless of classification. MDOT does have some gravel/dirt roads marked as major/minor/urban collectors. Be aware of this and be careful to confirm the road surface type outside of areas you are familiar or are in very rural areas of the state.
For example,
- A US Highway classified as a Minor Arterial is a Major Highway .
- A US Highway BUS (Business) route classified as a Minor Arterial is a Minor Highway .
- A State Highway classified as an Other Freeway is a Freeway .
- A State Highway classified as an Urban Collector is a Minor Highway .
- A State Highway classified as a Rural Minor Arterial that becomes an Urban Minor Arterial at both ends of the rural area is a Minor Highway .
- A locally-maintained road classified as an Other Principal Arterial is a Major Highway .
- A locally-maintained road classified as an Urban Collector is a Primary Street .
If a road is not shown on the Functional Classification layer, it is deemed as a Local Road with a Waze Road Type of Street .
Inconsistent switching between road types along a road is not wanted. Consistency is key. Do not change a road type for routing sake or to make it appear on the map at a higher speed.
Sometimes strictly following these functional classification guidelines will generate inconsistent Waze road types at boundaries between urban and rural maps. It is best to use the aerial maps and GPS data to find a logical location where a road should make the change in road type. These types of changes are usually at intersections with other roads (primary street and above) and sometimes incorporate a change in lane count (2-lane road transitions to 4-lane road). Prudent editor discretion is needed at these locations.