This page serves as the primary resource for editors of Colorado. Review all the sections to better understand how the guidelines for this state might deviate from the overall USA or worldwide guidelines. If you have any comments or questions about this page or state refer to the community links below.
If you edit in Colorado, please make sure you add yourself to the table below.
Introduction
Colorado is a part of the Southwest region, which includes the states and/or territories of:
Before editing the maps in Colorado, be sure to fully review and understand the editing manual.
The Waze user community follows the Waze etiquette guidelines discussed in the Wiki. Be sure to familiarize yourself with these guiding principals while editing the maps and this Wiki, as well as when communicating with other Waze users.
The Waze forum is a great place to find answers to previously asked questions and also a place to ask new ones. Below are links to the forums specific to Colorado.
New editors should consider checking into the formal mentoring program available at no charge.
Cities and towns
One of the most common errors when editing the maps is when an editor creates a road and does not confirm the road by setting the city and road name (or stating it has none).
The approved format for State Highway naming in Colorado is: SH-##
Locking Standard
In Colorado we have a set minimum standard for locking roads based on segment type. Any road of a certain segment type must be locked at least to the rank (level) in the chart below. Roads may be locked higher for protection and special situations (areas with construction, tricky design, frequent mistakes, imaging inaccuracies, and the like), but should not be locked lower.
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.
U-turns are generally permitted in Colorado except where prohibited by posted No U-Turn signage. Left turn only signage does not prohibit U-Turns. Here is the relevant CO Revised Statute.
C.R.S. 42-4-902. Limitations on turning around
No vehicle shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction upon any curve or upon the approach to or near the crest of a grade where such vehicle cannot be seen by the driver of any other vehicle approaching from either direction within such distance as is necessary to avoid interfering with or endangering approaching traffic.
The driver of any vehicle shall not turn such vehicle at an intersection or any other location so as to proceed in the opposite direction unless such movement can be made in safety and without interfering with or endangering other traffic.
Local and state authorities, within their respective jurisdictions, subject to the provisions of section 43-2-135 (1)(g), C.R.S., in the case of streets which are state highways, may erect “U-turn” prohibition or restriction signs at intersections or other locations where such movements are deemed to be hazardous, and, whenever official signs are so erected, no driver of a vehicle shall disobey the instructions thereof.
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.
The U-turn must meet the following criteria:
The turn can be completed in one continuous movement. This is not a specific legal requirement in Colorado, however it would be good practice for safer navigation.
There is at least 15 meters (49 feet) from the right edge of the legal departure lane to the right edge of the "destination" lane curb (49 foot diameter turning circle).
There is no sign prohibiting a U-turn.
Note that when editing, a functional U-turn can arise from more than just the U-turn flag on a road segment, such as with these common scenarios:
Divided roads with box (#) and partial-box (H) intersections.
Divided roads with explicitly-mapped inside turn lanes (interior AGC) unless the turn arrow in the U-turn direction is disabled.
To control U-turns in these scenarios, a Junction Box (JB) must be used.
Special roads
Drivable roads
Colorado follows the standard USA guidelines for all of the following special road types.
Review the Wiki guidelines for non-drivable roads to ensure compliance with the general guidelines.
Special Roads for Colorado
Example of a "2 track road." This would be set as Off Road / Not Maintained
Colorado uses the "unpaved" road attribute when the road is "dirt" or "gravel" but is maintained or "improved" by the city or county. This means that road is graded and leveled from time to time. The "Off-Road/Not Maintained" road type will be used for "2 track" jeep trail type unimproved roads. These type of roads are normally found in the mountain areas of the state and should rarely be used around or in any city environment. If you can't decide on what type to use just think, if a typical highway vehicle could easily travel (at 10 - 25 mph) should be considered a "street" with the "Unpaved" road attribute.
See this Forest Service Roads section about Forest Service roads for some clarification.
You may ask "Why use "Unpaved" or "Off-Road/Not Maintained" at all?" Well, using Unpaved on a Street road type adds a Time penalty to those segments of road and using Off-Road adds a larger Time penalty. The Time penalty is used by the routing server to determine the fastest route and a Dirt road, no matter how improved, will never be as fast as Paved. But then why not use Off Road for all dirt? In the app, there is a setting to Avoid Dirt. This can be set to just small lengths of Off Road or avoid them altogether. If we made the Unpaved roads all Off Road then 60% of all roads in the state would be avoided by the app and may give users very long routes where the Unpaved road would have saved hours of time.
As always, there may be special circumstances. If you feel you have a special circumstance please contact the State Manager or an Area Manager with any questions.
Closures
When managing a section of roadway under construction or being closed for a major event, follow the Wiki guidelines on construction zones and Real time closures.
The Colorado Department of Transportation keeps a running list of construction projects in the state. Note that this does not show lower level projects completed by city or county agencies.
Places
Colorado follows the USA standard for Places. Do not deviate from the guidelines without first obtaining consensus to do so via the state forum linked on this page.
Colorado has Lock Standards for all places. All places must be locked to at least Rank 2, this is to prevent the "drive by" editor from making changes without review. All Places require a Name and an Address before it can be added or approved to be added to the map. When a place has a Name and Address it will be locked to Rank 2. When the Place has been Google Linked it will be locked to Rank 3. The mapping of places will use the following.
AREAS
Areas will be locked to at least Rank 3 for most areas.
Neighborhood Parks
Gas Stations
Schools
Small Airports for local aircraft i.e. crop dusters etc..
Parking Lots for these areas
Larger Areas will be locked Rank 4
Small Airports
Large Parks including City, Regional, State, and National
Large Venues such are Red Rocks and Ski Areas
Parking Lots for these areas will be locked Rank 3
All other Areas will be locked Rank 5 or 6, if you have a concern please contact one of the State Managers or Regional Coordinators
Large Airports such as Denver International and Colorado Springs Municipal.
Military Bases
Denver Federal Center
Parking lots for Airports will be locked at the lock Rank for the Airport. All others will be locked Rank 3.
Place Points
Place Points (PP) will be at locked at least to Rank 2. When a PP has at least a Name, an Address, and is Google Linked it will be locked to Rank 3. Parking lots for PP will be locked Rank 3 unless there is a reason to lock them higher, such as vandalism. Exceptions will be based on discussions with the State Manager
Contact the Colorado forum with concerns related to places in Colorado.
Colorado follows all other USA standards for Places. Do not deviate from the guidelines without first obtaining consensus via the state forum.
Parking Lot Areas (PLA)
PLAs will have an Address at minimum to be added to the map. Drawing of PLAs will follow the US Standard.
Marijuana Dispensary
List it as "Shopping/Services" category and enter "Marijuana Dispensary" and/or "Medical Marijuana" in the description
Cameras
Not every camera-looking device at an intersection is a speed or red light camera. Generally speaking:
a speed camera takes a photograph of a vehicle when it passes by the camera at too high a speed.
a red light camera takes a photograph of a vehicle that enters an intersection after the light is red. In some areas, it takes the photograph when a vehicle is not clear of the intersection some period after the light turns red.
When adding a camera, be sure to review the camera placement recommendations.
Laws regarding speed and red light cameras vary between the states and territories, so be sure to understand the details of camera legality in Colorado.
Based on information researched at the time this page was created, the limited legality of speed cameras in Colorado is described in this page, and red light cameras are permitted statewide in Colorado.
No other camera types should be mapped in Waze.
To do list
Many states and territories keep an active list of pending or closed actions that need to be done in the state by the editors. All editors are welcome to contribute to the list of activities.
See Colorado/To do for the original list of areas and projects being managed by various editors in the state.
Area Managers
The table below identifies the editors also designated as Area Managers or higher who are editing in Colorado. If you have any questions, please consider contacting them directly as needed. If you are an Area Manager that covers Colorado, or a USA Country Manager that does a lot of work in Colorado, please add yourself to this list (alphabetical by username) in the correct rank section.
The editor who also serves as the Regional Coordinator for Colorado is automatically listed at the top of the table. That editor may not be highly active in this state and therefore may not be listed separately in the table.
Colorado — Area, State, Country Managers, and Regional Coordinators
The following editors are also editing in the state and may be working towards an Area Manager position. Feel free to contact them for assistance in their respective areas.
