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This page serves as the primary resource for editors of New York. 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.

The Validator script has special support for New York. It customizes Validator with our unique rules and needs, and adds three map resource buttons (for NYS Orthos GIS maps, NY DOT FC Viewer, and NYCityMap). Please install the localization script (along with WME Validator). Instructions are on the New York/Validator page.
We are now including GHO avatars and displayed names in the editor tables below, please add your details (instructions are here) or ask someone to do it for you.
PesachZ (talk) 07:04, 1 October 2015 (UTC)
If you edit in New York, please make sure you are listed in the table below.

See New York/Notice for the archives of previous notices.


Introduction

New York is a part of the Northeast region, which includes the states and/or territories of:

Delaware / New Jersey / New York / Pennsylvania.


See the Waze glossary for an expalnation of Waze terminology.


Mapping resources

Before editing the maps in New York, 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.

See New York/Resources for more about mapping resources for New York.

Tip: One you are familiar with the very basics of map editing, editors are strongly encouraged to download & install the WME Toolbox, WME Validator, and the NY Localization Package for WME Validator Plugins. These are VERY helpful tools for identifying problems and even offers advice how to fix them.

Update Requests link to this section

Any editor can research and reply to an Update Request. Rank 1 editors will need to work with a more senior editor to review and close a UR.

The main objective is to resolve legitimate map issues -- not just to close URs. Be sure to take time to understand the issue, and ensure that the reporter has time to respond. URs may be left open longer if needed to properly resolve the issue.

Many URs require more information from the reporter to find a solution. This is understandable, since it usually isn't possible (or desirable) for the reporter to leave a full explanation while driving. To improve the chances of getting a response while the incident is still fresh in the reporter's mind, it is best to send an inquiry as soon as you see a UR that hasn't yet been addressed by another editor.

To improve your chances of getting helpful replies to your UR comments, use specific, personalized comments such as "Hello! Volunteer map editor responding - Last Tuesday at 5PM you submitted a map issue regarding wrong driving directions. Waze instructed you to turn right on W 40th Street, but you continued straight on 8th Avenue. What was wrong?". Be very cautious of any scripts which have options to automate your comments - do not allow them to automatically fill and send an entire comment. If you use automatically generated responses like "You reported turn not allowed", be sure to add the specific details most likely to solicit the answers you need.

Some Wazers see a response to their UR via the email address associated with their Waze account, and not in the Waze app itself. For this reason, it helps to let the reporter know they need to reply using the Waze app inbox, that email responses will not reach us. This can be kept brief, for example "Note: e-mail replies won't reach us, please use the Waze app inbox to respond." at the end of the message to the reporter.

The Northeast Region (NOR) largely follows national guidance with these exceptions:

  • No editor "owns" a UR, we work as a team to investigate and resolve issues. However, if it is clear an editor is actively working on an issue with the reporter, etiquette dictates that you contact them before stepping in and resolving it.
  • A reminder should be sent to the UR reporter if no response is received after the initial inquiry. The timeline of correspondence and closure follows.

Timeline

The following timeline starts on "Day 0," which is the day you find a UR that has not yet been addressed by another editor.

  • Day 0 (the day the first message is sent to the reporter): Use aerial view, street view, and the information in the UR to try to solve the UR. If you can fix the problem, do so, and thank the reporter for their help. If not enough information is available and you cannot identify the problem, respond to the UR asking for more information.
  • Day 4 (4 days after the initial message): After 4 days if you haven't received a response from the reporter and you still cannot identify the problem send a reminder message for more information.
  • Day 8 (4 days after the last reminder was sent): If you still haven't received a reply from the report, and you still cannot identify the problem, you may close the UR as not identified, leaving a message indicating that we did not have enough information to identify the problem. In this final message you may include the state's email address for any follow up information: WazeNewYork@gmail.com.
  • When leaving the e-mail address, request that the reporter put your editor username in the subject line so emails can be auto forwarded to you.
    You are not required to use this email address if you don't wish to. However if you do use it, it is strongly recommended you register here: Waze NOR Email Subscription
  • Example timeline:
    • Jan 20, Initial request for more information sent by an editor
    • Jan 24, no respond to initial inquiry, reminder sent
    • Jan 28, no respond to reminder, problem closed "Not Identified"

Closing a UR as Not Identified

  • If there is a cluster of URs and you can not figure out the root of the problem, consider leaving the URs open a little longer to see if another UR comes along to provide more information. This may allow you to solve them all or leave a map comment to track.
  • Fix another issue in the area. While you may not have solved this issue, make sure we are always improving the map. A good practice is to make at least one improvement in the area (fix/add info to a place, update house numbers, add missing speed limits, etc) when marking a UR as Not Identified - this will help future proof the area.
  • Special consideration should be given to URs that have comments, a problem identified, or reasonable Waze routes and/or user traces. In these cases, clusters can potentially form with similar information and the issue can be solved using deductive reasoning. In these cases it's always wise to consult with a state manger for guidance on closing the UR.
  • Last but certainly not least, when in doubt, ask for a second opinion. A second set of eyes may help you identify an issue you missed.


Community

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 New York.

Area Managers for New York can be found in the table below.

New editors should consider checking into the formal mentoring program available at no charge.

Formal Mentoring is a great tool to quickly learn the ropes of editing correctly and efficiently. It includes the potential for accelerated rank and role upgrades.


Discord link to this section

We are using the Discord platform for text (voice, and video) chat, please join us here, and ask to be added to the local group if you edit in our region.

The conversations are segmented by areas, and topics. For New York state there is a general state channel, and then three local channels; #ny_state_east, #ny_state_west, and #ny_greater_nyc_li. This image indicates the general division for the local channels.

NY State Discord channels
Click to enlarge

Google Hangouts link to this section

We used to use Google Hangouts heavily in this region for real time communication. We have since transitioned to the Discord platform discussed above due to its many more features, and technical limitations of the Google Hangouts platform.

For those who have access security issues, and can not access the discord platform, please reach out to one the state managers, and/or (Assistant) Regional Coordinators for an alternate access through Google Hangouts.

Social Media link to this section

The New York editing community communicates updates about the community, Waze-related news, and driving conditions throughout the state on Twitter. Follow our @Waze_NewYork and @Waze_NYC community accounts.



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).

Duplicate cities can be caused by incorrectly named segments and should be corrected following the guidelines in the duplicate cities article.

Segment city names within the state are based on administrative divisions of New York State. As almost all land within the state is incorporated, every segment should have at least have the city name of the incorporated village, town, city, or borough (NYC only) the segment is within and should not be listed as "no city".

Additionally, the state has hamlets, census-designated places (CDPs), and neighborhoods that are treated with quasi-official status in some portions of the state and may have been included with the original basemap import. Some of these areas may coincide with USPS names, but typically do not have the same boundaries. In areas of upstate New York, hamlets and CDPs may have large areas and small populations and need not be mapped in rural areas, whereas counties such as Suffolk, Nassau, Rockland, and Westchester have smaller areas with high populations that fall under that quasi-official status (e.g., Suffolk County provides hamlet boundaries in its county GIS). Check with state leadership before adding or removing a hamlet, CDP, or neighborhood name from a segment.

New York City neighborhoods are currently not used as a city name; use the borough name in these areas.


Major roads

New York follows the general road naming and road type guidelines of the USA.

Local Naming Variations

  • New York State uses NY-## and NY-##X for all state routes and their spurs, loops, etc. (e.g. NY-27, NY-787, NY-17M, NY-52 BUS)
  • Concurrent routes which are signed/shielded with both names, AND commonly referred to using both names together, should use both names separated by a bullet (•) as the primary name, and each individual named as an alternate name. (e.g. US-1 • US-9)
  • Interstate highways which also have a historical or local freeway name should have that historical or local name appended after the Interstate designation, separated by a bullet. (e.g., I-495 E • Long Island Expwy, I-95 N • Cross Bronx Expwy, I-87 • NY Thruway)
  • Highway name descriptors, such as TRUCK, EXPRESS, etc. should be added in ALL CAPS after the name. (e.g. US-1 TRUCK, or on a concurrent road US-1 TRUCK • US-9 TRUCK)

Service roads

  • Roads which have a parallel service road (i.e. are split in a single direction such as Ocean Parkway) should have the service roads named uniquely so Wazers understand which roadway they are being routed onto. They should be named with "(Service Rd)" following the actual road name. (e.g. Ocean Pkwy, and Ocean Pkwy (Service Rd).)
    This will also identify which roadway incident and error reports were sent from. These are commonly referred to as service roads in New York, but may also be known as frontage roads, or outer roads.
    Please see the House Numbers on Service Roads article for a detailed explanation and tutorial on setting the road type, and adjusting House Numbers for these service roads so they route correctly, and work with BDP.

Road Shields

  • New York State uses the following nationally-available shields:
    • Interstate Main for interstates
    • US Hwy Main for US Highways
      • Routes with descriptors such as ALT, BUS , SPUR, etc. should use their respective shield
    • CR generic Main for county routes
  • Available state-specific shields available include:
    • New York - State Main for state routes
    • New York - State TRUCK for state truck routes where signed
    • New York - State Road NY Thwy should be added to the NY Thruway alt name on segments carrying the Thruway so it can be used for on-ramp signage
      • Only the non-interstate section of the NY Thruway Berkshire CONN should use this shield for its primary name / display
    • New York - NYC Pkwy (square) for New York City parkways, matching letter abbreviations on the parkway signs
    • New York - State LI Pkwy (lighthouse) for Long Island parkways, matching letter abbreviations on the parkway signs
    • New York - State Pkwy (Empire Shield) for most state parkways outside of New York City and Long Island
      • Use the first letters of the parkway name as an abbreviation on the shield (e.g., TSP for Taconic State Parkway)
      • Exceptions include the Lake Ontario Pkwy and Niagara Scenic Pkwy which have their own shields available
    • NJ & NY - State Pkwy Leaf for the Palisades Interstate Pkwy
Where not to not add shields
  • State reference routes should not be shielded. These are identified as 3-digit numbers in the 900's with a single letter suffix (e.g., NY-910C, NY-970G). Two reference routes have signed primary names and are the only shielded exceptions (NY-961F & NY-990V).
  • At this time, shields should not be added to state roads that are primarily shielded with unavailable shields (e.g., NY-## BUS, Long Mountain Parkway).


Functional Classification (FC)

New York State has upgraded the entire road network to meet the national guidance for road type classification. This ensures a consistent, and better navigational experience to wazers around the country. The general guidelines for implementation are in the Road types page. Any local deviations, and special information for New York State are listed in the next subsection.

The Mapping Resources section has links to several FC data sources including a State DOT maintained GIS, CSV lists of all FC roads by county, and general FC information.

Tip: for editors using the FC Color Highlights script: These colors will more-or-less match the NYS DOT FC map:

NYS FC GIS Color Highlights
NYS FC Type Highlight Color
 Interstate = Fwy  black
 Principal Arterial = MH  green
 Minor Arterial = mH  red
 Collector = PS  blue
 Ramp  #8c6946 (unclassified)

Local Exceptions

  • Roads which are Private (not accessible to the general public i.e. a gated entrance, buses only, etc.), Parking Lot Roads, or Non-Drivable (i.e. pedestrian plazas, boardwalks, etc.) should be classed as such (Private, PLR, Non-Drivable), regardless of what their official FC class is.
  • The NYS FC GIS is incomplete, and does not show all roads highlighted correctly for the full length on the road. When in doubt consult the Inventory Lists.
  • The NYS FC GIS will only highlight one direction (side) of a split roadway, in these cases both directions should be classed the same (at the highlighted class).
  • New York State Reference Routes should use their FC designation and not be treated as state highways.

From this point, roads may be adjusted up or down the scale as indicated by the road's setup and usage ONLY with the consensus of a local RC, or SM. Examples:

  • Most of NY-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).
  • 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.
  • Several minor arterial state routes across the Adirondack Park have been given +1 routing preference to act as Major Highways. Prior to this upgrade, east-west and "diagonal" routes across the park were pruned by the routing server given the lack of US routes and/or principal arterial classifications across the park. This upgrade allows the roads to still display as state routes while providing trips up to an hour shorter than those given prior to the upgrade.


If you are having difficulty in determining what road type a particular section should have, feel free to contact any of New York's, Waze Champs Country Managers, State Manager(s), or senior editors list in the table below. You can also contact the Regional Coordinator(s) orbitc (PM [Help])   and PhantomSoul (PM [Help])  , or post to any of the New York editing community locations listed above.

Locking standard

In New York 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.

New York Minimum Locking Rank Standard
Segment Type NYC Only  Everywhere Else
 Freeway  5
 Ramp  Highest rank of connected segment
 Major Highway  5 3
 Minor Highway  4 3
 Primary Street  3 2
 Street  1 (Auto)
 Private Road  1 (Auto)
 • • • • Ferry • • • •   5
 |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Railroad |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|  2

Note: Do Not Mass Edit just to update locks to these standards, these can be adjusted as you find them while editing other aspects of the segments such as FC, speed limits, naming, etc.

Some segments still warrant higher locks and care should be taken when setting segment lock to these standards to look for and protect these special setups with higher locks. Some examples; segments which are part of BDP, U-turn prevention, or using micro-doglegs, or other complex intersection setups.


You can use WME Validator to highlight segments which are locked below these standards using the custom check fields.

For NYC use the following:
  • Custom template: _${type}_:${lock}
  • Custom RegExp: /(_3_:[1-4]|_4_:[1-4]|_6_:[1-4]|_7_:[1-3]|_2_:[12])/
For Everywhere else in NYS use the following:
  • Custom template: _${type}_:${lock}
  • Custom RegExp: (_3_:[1-4]|_4_:[1-3]|_6_:[1-3]|_7_:[12])/


Speed limits

New York follows the national guidelines for adding speed limits to the map. There are a few items left up to local guidance which will be enumerated below.

National guidance recap

  • The ONLY speed limits which should be added to the map are Regulatory Speed Limits. These are marked with black lettering on white rectangular signs.
  • The following speed limits are unsupported by the WME and the Waze app, and MUST NOT be added to road segments in the WME. Road segments with posted 'advisory' speeds or special speed limits should continue the Speed Limit for passenger vehicles as posted on the black and white signs pictured above.
  • Segments with time based different speed limits should use the speed limit which is in effect the majority of the time (most hours of the day, days of the week).
  • Speed limits should change where they legally go in effect. When a speed limit changes in the middle of a segment, a new junction should added to support the SL change. However a new junction should never be added for a SL if it will be within 200 feet of an existing junction, or potential junction.

Work zone speed limits

A work zone (WZ) may have a lower advisory speed limit (SL) posted in black on orange , or a regulatory speed limit posted in black on white with an orange "Work Zone" banner across the top .

We only consider the regulatory signs, and never map advisory speed limits.

Now that the Speed Limit feature has gone live in the production client app (as of June 2016), adding WZ SLs to segments is generally allowed.

  • Typically only projects which are expected to last at least 3 months should be added to the map.
  • The underlying SL, and expected project completion date should be documented in a [CONSTRUCTION] UR with the keyword mph included in the text.
  • Projects of shorter duration may be added as well, IF the editor has access to frequent status updates on the project, and is willing to monitor and adjust as soon as the SL is restored.

Where speed limits change

The NYS Supplement to the MUTCD stipulates that a Speed Limit sign shall be placed at, or as near as practicable to, the beginning of a speed limit.

When adding speed limits to WME we should try to be as accurate as reasonable, while still preserving turn delays. Therefore if a speed limit changes in middle of a segment we will create a new junction to support the SL change. However if there is already an existing junction, or we can see the need to create a new junction to connect another segment to the road within 200 feet of the speed limit sign, we should mark the SL change using that existing (potential) junction node.

If at the editor's discretion in consultation with local managers, it is determined that a new junction to support a SL change between 200 - 1,000 feet away from a junction would have a negative impact on turn delay calculations, they may instead affect the SL change at an existing (potential) junction up to 1,000 feet away from the SL sign. This may be because the SL change is posted in middle of turning or exit lane where traffic regularly backs up from the following junction to before the position of the SL sign.

Click Expand for details on the direct quote from the NYS Supplement

Standard:
00M

A R2-1 sign shall be placed at, or as near as practicable to, the beginning of a linear speed limit facing traffic entering the restriction. Additional R2-1 signs shall be placed at intervals throughout restrictions longer than 1100 feet.

Option:
00N

The R2-1 sign may be omitted when the beginning of a linear speed limit is at, or near, the closed end of a dead-end highway.

Guidance:
00O

Where the beginning of a linear speed limit is at, or just before, an intersection, the Speed Limit sign should be placed beyond the intersection. Where a Speed Limit sign and a Political Boundary sign (see Section 2D.110) would conflict, the Political Boundary sign should be placed at a suitable location before or after the Speed Limit sign.


Special roads

Drivable roads

New York follows the standard USA guidelines for all of the following special road types.

Non-drivable roads

Review the Wiki guidelines for non-drivable roads to ensure compliance with the general guidelines.

In New York if a Non-drivable road has a name and addresses (house numbers) on it, then it should be mapped using a Routable Pedestrian Path and connected drivable road network via a virtual node. This will allow Waze to navigate to those house numbers, and the route will stop at the virtual node junction nearest the address pin. The address pin will display on the map in the correct location.

State specific special road guidelines

The following special roads are managed slightly uniquely in some states and territories.

Parking Lot Roads

This state uses the following national standard guidelines found in the Wiki for Parking Lot Roads.

Alleys

This state uses the following unique guidelines for mapping 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.

Be careful adding alleys which will be closer to the destination pins for house numbers, or from Google, as this can cause all navigation to all the addresses on that block to route onto the alley instead. It may be better not to map these alleys, or you may have to adjust all the address pins to be closer to the actual roads.

Dirt roads

This state uses the following national standard guidelines found in the Wiki for Dirt Roads.


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 Federal Highway Administration keeps a website indexing all states that can provide highway and construction project information. Go to the page, find your state, and check the links for the desired information.


New York City has a list of closures at the GIS for NYC. You can also access weekly, and weekend construction reports published by the NYC DOT.


Some other counties have GIS systems, web pages, or social media posts that may provide useful information as well.

Recurring closures and events

See New York/Closures for a list of (recurring) events and closures in New York, and to coordinate with other editors in the region on submitting these events and closures to Waze.


Places

New York 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.


Naming Standard

Names have been standardized for many public agencies which have multiple locations in NYC. This makes the map look more professional and uniform. The names have been designed to work well with instant search, regular search, and to be clear and concise in the map display. Please ensure all places defined below follow these guidelines.

  • Places which are part of a larger encompassing place (i.e. place points for lot in a university area, Separate ER entrances in a hospital area, etc.) should be named with their unique name followed by a hyphen and the name of the larger area they belong to. For example "Student Parking Lot C - StudyHard University"

Specific names per agency

All places for the following agencies in NYC should be names according to the same standard as follows:

  • NYPD precincts: "NYPD - " followed by the precinct number, then the full word "Precinct", (replace the number with the correct precinct number). If it doesn't have a number use the name.
    Examples:
    • "NYPD - 44th Precinct"
    • "NYPD - Brooklyn South Task Force"
  • FDNY fire stations: "FDNY - " followed by the first letter of the listed apparatus and number for that station. The order for listed apparatuses should be: Division, Battalion, Rescue, Hazmat, Squad, Ladder, Engine. You may add the full name of specialty units (e.g., "Rescue 2") as an alternate Place name.
    Examples:
    • "FDNY - B24, L123, E90"
    • "FDNY - S60"
  • FDNY * EMS stations: Start with "FDNY * EMS - " followed by the station number or other title. Use the Fire Station category.
    Examples:
    • "FDNY * EMS - Station 35"
    • "FDNY * EMS - Division 2"
  • Subways stations: Start with the line (IRT, IND, or BMT), followed by the station name, a hyphen, and list the trains which you can access from that station.
    Examples:
    • "IRT Utica Ave - 3,4"
    • "IRT Pelham Bay Park - 6"
    • "IRT / BMT Atlantic Ave - 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R"
  • Public schools: If the school has an abbreviation in the name, use it. Abbreviate common names as follows;
    Public School = PS
    Elementary School = ES
    Middle School = MS
    Intermediate School = IS
    High School = HS
    Vocational High School = VHS
    Numbered schools should be named with the school type, number, hyphen, school name if applicable.
    Examples:
    • "PS-113 - George Montgomery ES"
    • "HS-72 - Abraham Lincoln HS"
  • USPS: Start the name with "Post Office" and the zip code, if there is a station specific name, put that after the zip code separated by a hyphen (-). Add alternate names for the "USPS", and the ZIP code. Include "CPU" or "VPO" if they are listed in the name by the USPS.
    Examples:
    • "Post Office 10001 - James A Farley"
      "USPS"
      "10001"
    • "Post Office 10458 - CPU Fordham University"
      "USPS"
      "10458"
    • "Post Office 10469"
      "USPS"
      "10469"
    • "Post Office 11213 - St John's Pl"
      "USPS"
      "11213"
  • US VA Hospitals and Centers: Should be named with their official name as the primary name. For VA hospitals "(US Veterans Only)" should be added to the end of the primary name, and as the first line of the description. In the primary name "VA" should be expanded as "Veterans Affairs", so as not to cause a TTS conflict with Virginia. Names can be shortened to remove extraneous words, for example replace "Campus of the" from the official name with a hyphen (-). Any colloquial names should be added as alt names, so they are returned in search results, and also at the beginning of the description, so they are visible on the place preview page in the client.
    Examples:
    • The official name "Brooklyn Campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System" should be modified to "Brooklyn Veterans Affairs - NY Harbor Healthcare System"
    • The official name "James J. Peters VA Medical Center" should be modified to "James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center", with alternate names "Bronx VA Hospital", and "Bronx Veterans Affairs Hospital". See this example in WME.

See New York/Places for the full "Place Name Harmonization" list approved for use in this region (this may possibly include places approved only for a specific state other than New York).


Locking Standard

Once you have correctly filled in as as much information as is available, Places should be locked to a minimum of Level 2.

These areas below are more sensitive + important to Wazers and should be locked higher. Reach out to a senior editor if needed for assistance in locking new places.

Lock at Level 3:

  • College / University
  • Courthouse
  • Government
  • Jail / Prison / Correctional Facility
  • Military
  • Parking Lot
  • Train Station


Lock at Level 4:

  • EV Charging Station
  • Fire Department
  • Gas station
  • Hospital / Urgent Care
  • Park
  • Police Station


Lock at Level 5:

  • Airport


Special consideration is given to places that are considered sensitive, complex or intricate that may raise their lock level. Consult with a AM, SM, CM, or Champ to determine if a place warrants a higher lock level than outlined above.


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.

Be sure to know your cameras before accepting new camera reports.

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 New York.


Based on information researched at the time this page was created, the limited legality of red light and speed cameras in New York is described in this page.

No other camera types should be mapped in Waze.

  • a mobile speed camera is a speed camera which is easily moved from place to place to be deployed in targeted enforcement areas. These should be reported as Hidden Police. These are usually mounted on the roof racks of vehicles which can be parked on the side, or on a service road to capture vehicle traffic in both directions in all lanes of that road. They issue tickets to vehicles traveling above the speed limit. New York City for example issues speed camera tickets to vehicles traveling at least 11 mph above the speed limit.
    Due to their nature of quickly changing locations, a police report will instantly alert other drivers in the area of targeted enforcement. In the details section you can type mobile speed camera. The long delay in reporting a camera, getting it approved on the map, and waiting for a tile update to take effect, makes it futile for these types of cameras.
  • a dummy / fake red light camera should not be mapped in New York State, because they CANNOT issue tickets.
  • Other camera types, cameras or signs that either provide driver feedback or are used for traffic control. These devices CANNOT issue tickets and should not be mapped.


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.

If you have any additions, updates, corrections, or suggestions for this page, feel free to edit it yourself, or send a PM to one of the RCs or SMs listed below.

Thank you, and Happy Wazing!


General tasks

Primary issues for maintaining the road network

  • Remove unneeded junction nodes (those not at intersections, or separating segments with different properties, i.e. city-name, street name, speed limit, elevation, allowed U-turns, or splitting a segment which is over 10km long).
  • Remove excess geometry nodes (those which are not changing the geometry of a segment). When the geometry node is very near the end of a segment double check while zoomed-in to see if the geometry node is actually changing the turn angle.
  • Inspect and correct connectivity of necessary junctions.
    • A great resource for locating, and learning how to fix connectivity, and many other issues is the WME Validator script, and the NY Localization Package for WME Validator. All active editors should have this amazing script. Just be careful, WME Validator highlights POTENTIAL problems, not everything which is highlighted needs to be fixed.
  • Update the road network "Street Types" to match FC, for more information see FC update info
  • Update all segment "Street Names" in accordance with the guidelines in the Road Names (USA) wiki article, and the New York State specific guidelines.
  • Inspect and correct overpasses/underpasses to ensure that the segments are on different levels, and do not have a junction node where they meet.
  • Ensure that any roads crossing at the same elevation level have a junction node connecting them.

See New York/To do for a list of editing projects in New York State, and to track and update their statuses.


Area Managers

The table below identifies the editors also designated as Area Managers or higher who are editing in New York. If you have any questions, please consider contacting them directly as needed. If you are an Area Manager that covers 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) in the correct rank section.

The editor who also serves as the Regional Coordinator for New York 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.

New York — Area, State, Country Managers, and Regional Coordinators
Regional Coordinator(s):
[RC] orbitc (PM [Help])  
[ARC1] PhantomSoul (PM [Help])  
[ARC2] RussPA (PM [Help])  
Username
"
  GHO Display Name
Area Managed Comments
Country Managers (Northeast region)
(Add to or edit Country and State sections of table)
orbitc(6) [PM [Help]] 
  Orbit C
Entire State of NY, also DE, NJ, PA. CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
Coordinator of Region 9 Northeast & 8 New England
PhantomSoul(6) [PM [Help]] 
  George
Hudson Valley and the Catskills
NJ
RussPA(6) [PM [Help]] 
  Russ Weissman
NOR ARC, USA (Global Champ), PA State Manager
PesachZ(6) [PM [Help]] 
  Pesach Z
NYS (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan)
GC
whoaitspete(6) [PM [Help]] 
  whoaitspete
Statewide with a focus on the Capital District & North Country
NY SM / PA LAM
snhroc(5) [PM [Help]] 
S
  snhroc
Statewide
AM Canada/UK
State Managers (Northeast region)
Jdelosa(5) [PM [Help]] 
  John ( JD )
Statewide with a focus on Downstate NYC, Brooklyn
NY SM, NYC Closure Team
Joyriding(5) [PM [Help]] 
  Brent
Statewide
NY
Rfrsw101(5) [PM [Help]] 
  Rfrsw101
Statewide with a Focus on New York City, Long Island, and I-78/95 Corridor, NJ
NYC RTC Team, AM-NJ, SM/RM-Thailand
Dude495(5) [PM [Help]] 
  Dan B
Statewide
NY Closure Team
jushag(4) [PM [Help]] 
J
  Justin H
Statewide
Resides in Greater Binghamton
Area Managers
(Add to or edit this section)
nzahn1(6) [PM [Help]] 
  Nick Zahn
Shelter Island
US Local Champ / MD SM
EHcool68(5) [PM [Help]] 
E
  Eric
State-wide
PA State Manager
Fredo-p(5) [PM [Help]] 
  Alfredo
Staten Island
AZ/ND SM
Machete808(6) [PM [Help]]  Bronx, Manhattan, Queens
HI State Manager
jr1982jr(5) [PM [Help]] 
R
  Russ Z
Manhattan
MD State Manager
Poncewattle(5) [PM [Help]] 
  Nigel
Bronx
DE State Manager
Michelle-s(5) [PM [Help]] 
  Michelle-s
Manhattan
OK State Manager
dhschneider(5) [PM [Help]] 
D
  DaveS
NYC and Long Island
juliansean(5) [PM [Help]] 
  Sean Julian
Queens (Surrounding LGA) Also edits in Brooklyn / Bronx / Manhattan
bummerdude69(4) [PM [Help]] 
  John Sanborn
Brooklyn (from NYC MR)
AZ SM
firefighterdude(4) [PM [Help]]  Eastern Hudson Valley
Also editing in the Capital Region
GeekDriverPeaceful(4) [PM [Help]]  NYC AM
Resident of NJ
krzycholub(4) [PM [Help]]  NYC and NJ
NJ SM
Be8el0ve(5) [PM [Help]] 
N
  Nelson S
Orange & Rockland Counties, NYC and NJ
NJ Resident
IamtheLexx(4) [PM [Help]] 
  Chris IamtheLexx
Lockport
Ontario Manager
RodeNinja(4) [PM [Help]] 
  Eric K
Mid-Hudson
Dutchess, Putnam; parts of Columbia to Rockland
SpencerFG(4) [PM [Help]]  Manhattan, Bronx VA now but born and bred Manhattanite
beachbumli247(3) [PM [Help]] 
  Warren
Suffolk County, Long Island
chrisben(3) [PM [Help]] 
  Chris Bennett
Buffalo, WNY, Southern Tier
LookBothWaaze(3) [PM [Help]]  Woodstock
tigger13090(3) [PM [Help]] 
  Dave
NY / AL / MA
Resides in Syracuse
todaresq(3) [PM [Help]]  Greater Binghamton, NY; Broome County; Greater Syracuse; Onondaga County
Live in Binghamton, travel at least 14 counties in upstate. Wave if you see me.
YourEvilTwinFTW(4) [PM [Help]] 
  YourEvilTwinFTW
Syracuse/Northern Suburbs
NathanHirschWard(3) [PM [Help]]  Madison County AM, NYC & LHV editor, also Southern VT AM from Westchester County
JimBobNinja06(3) [PM [Help]]  Corning
pasciakd(3) [PM [Help]] 
P
  pasciakd
NY & NJ
NJ resident


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.

Other Area Editors (Add to or edit this section)
Username General Editing Area Comments
enembee(5) [PM [Help]] 
  enembee
Temp Mentoring AM in Western NY
KY SM
mrsmith66(5) [PM [Help]] 
M
  Mark Smith
Assisting with NY, mainly NYC area SM - NJ
Eaglestailg8ter(4) [PM [Help]] 
  Robert (eaglestailg8ter)
Travel throughout NY / NY Metro AM - All of PA / LAM MO & KS
LennyNRPD(4) [PM [Help]] 
L
  Lenny Mathesius II
Brooklyn NY thru MD AM - VA & NJ / EA - DC, MD, DE
MikeyPizzaman(4) [PM [Help]]  Westchester/Rockland/Bergen primarily-Familiar with tri-state area.
SER-LAM
clubjuggle(3) [PM [Help]]  NYC Metro (mainly Manhattan), Northern NJ, Southeastern/South Central PA Travel from near Harrisburg to NYC most weekends. Feel free to contact me for BOTG
CNY_STi(3) [PM [Help]] 
K
  Kyle M
Syracuse/Central NY
cshinn89(3) [PM [Help]] 
  Christopher
Pike county PA, northern NJ, & Orange county NY
Thailand RM. Pike County AM. Former NJ Resident and Currently living in PA
Cycle201(3) [PM [Help]]  Staten Island/ Bklyn/Mid-East NJ I personally check Staten Island
FreedAce(3) [PM [Help]]  bottum corner of Connecticut Areas between CT and NJ
dsfargeg(3) [PM [Help]] 
  Neil
Rochester, Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, Utica
QuebecRefugee(3) [PM [Help]] 
D
  Dan
Massachusetts, Connecticut, participating in NY UR Project.
Swami07601(3) [PM [Help]] 
R
  Richard
Bronx Manhattan Bergen County NJ resident
tenetienne(3) [PM [Help]]  Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens Member of the NY UR Project
Thangorodrim(3) [PM [Help]] 
  John M
Massachusetts, Northern CT, NY along I-90
zikzak(3) [PM [Help]]  Ithaca / Cortland FC Upgrades
BCurtisWX(2) [PM [Help]] 
B
  bcurtiswx
Maryland, Drives to Rochester, NY yearly.
Br3m3n(2) [PM [Help]] 
S
  Steve
Central NY and I also travel to the Southern Tier frequently
BrandonBDS(2) [PM [Help]]  NYC
gratefuldadx3(2) [PM [Help]]  Orange and Sullivan Counties -20 year taxicab driver/ dispatcher

-Founded a regional car service.

idrive66(2) [PM [Help]] 
I
  Ian Scheil
Rochester, NY/Surrounding Areas of Upstate NY Based in North Greece, NY with frequent travel
KrisA1281(2) [PM [Help]] 
K
  Kris Alberga
Saranac Lake, NY/Greater Adirondack Region
mdswbkq(2) [PM [Help]] 
M
  Michael S
Manh, W Kings, a little BX, SI, Westchester Grew up in NYC, live in MD, active in MD/DC editing, occasionally visit family in NYC
n8felton(2) [PM [Help]] 
  Nate Felton
Rochester, NY, WNY, Finger Lakes region Based in Chili/Henrietta area
NHBlueBimmer(2) [PM [Help]]  Catskills, Adirondacks, and surrounding area. Living and editing in NH
Radon214(2) [PM [Help]]  Warren/Washington/Saratoga FC upgrades. Not yet mentored.
Socalcowboy(2) [PM [Help]]  CT to Bethpage live in and work in CT but occasionally make business trips to Bethpage
StevenLMeow15(2) [PM [Help]]  Saratoga/Albany/Rensselaer
soxfaninny(2) [PM [Help]] 
S
  soxfaninny (Bruce)
New Paltz/Gardiner/Mid Hudson Valley
Tirless(2) [PM [Help]]  Syracuse/Central NY
Tortured1(2) [PM [Help]] 
E
  EndZone OneOhTwo
some NYC, some Long Island Until 10/31/2016
WireFire2(2) [PM [Help]]  Saratoga County
Anonymous1205(1) [PM [Help]]  Suffolk County/Nassau County Long Island, New York
DanCocoDotCom(1) [PM [Help]] 
D
  Dan Coco
Rochester and Western NY
fc_alex(1) [PM [Help]]  Brooklyn/Staten Island/Manhattan, NY
lsou14(1) [PM [Help]]  Central NY
NS-6(1) [PM [Help]]  Rockland County, NY


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