'MegaMapRaid Bay Area will begin Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 1500 UTC and will last 4.5 days, until March 12, 0300 UTC.
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This page is under construction, and is not yet ready for Mega Map Raid: please check back later in the week |
Welcome to Northern California!
The group will be divided into 17 teams, one for each section, and two exclusive teams; one to handle PURs, the other for the Waze provided problem sheet. Each team will have their own assigned senior editor (rank 6, or 5) who will be able to edit anywhere in the Raid area, but will focus on their assigned section.
Raid Areas
The MapRaid area is being divided up by teams. You can see the interactive map with all the teams, and PUR areas drawn out here.
Raid Groups
PUR Areas
Mission
Our primary mission will be to handle the URs, and PURs, followed by Place validation, and general map verification.
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Functional Classification (FC) has been fully implemented for the LA area. Some road types deviate intentionally from the state DOTs classifications. If you find a road which you feel is not classified correctly or set to the right type, please contact a local champ or State Manager (SM) before making changes. |
Local Hosts
jemay (PM [Help]) 
- Southwestern Regional Coordinator - generally available during daytime hours
ottonomy (PM [Help]) - US Local Champ & Mentor- more available nights & weekends, but always accepting questions.
tonestertm (PM [Help]) - California State Manager - schedule also fluid, but usually mid-day into early-mid AM
Important!
Please do not alter any of the following road types without first consulting a Local Host: Freeway, Ramp, Major Highway, minor Highway, Primary Street.
Please do not mass-edit Do not perform edits which will affect large numbers of segments at once. The edit history of segments is highly valuable in the process of solving URs. Mass editing effectively mass erases this history, permanently. We ask that all necessary processes which might affect large portions of the map, or long stretches of roads, be reserved until near the end of the MapRaid, using the Scheduled Edits form. This includes the “Select entire street” function.
Anything locked at 5 or 6? Please check with a local editor before making changes. Rank 5 and 6 editors - consider keeping highlights active for locks 5 and 6.
Close nodes We make use of the "micro-dogleg" technique, where a geometry node is carefully placed, at full zoom, directly next to a junction node, in order to set the angle to create a desired Turn/Stay/Exit prompt. Please watch for these if you move any junction node, and be sure to recreate the same angle at the new location.
Local Guidance
Functional Classification
In the United States, we set our road types using a national standard called Functional Classification (FC). You can read a detailed explanation in our Road Type Wiki
The Functional Classification has been completed in the Greater LA Area. Occasionally, we find short segments that were missed in the selection process for conversion, and it is important that these be corrected for routing continuity. In general, however, we ask that Road Types not be changed without consulting one of the Local Hosts. In isolated cases, we have chosen to deviate from official classifications, due to errors or outdated information in the Caltrans (DOT) FC maps, or to better accommodate real-life situations and Waze quirks. It is important that these remain intact. Sometimes dirt roads may appear higher on FC maps but shouldn't be used by Waze for routing.
If you find an area that doesn't seem to be complete please bring it to the attention of a Local Host for review.
We observe the following minimum lock levels for Waze road types:
Freeway (Fwy) - 5
Ramp - 5
Major Highway (MH) - 3
minor Highway (mH) - 2 - In some dense metropolitan areas, the minimum lock for mH is 3
Primary Street (PS) - 2
All others - 1, or as needed
Note that these are minimums and, for protection, certain segments may be at higher lock levels. If you find a road locked to a higher level than its minimum, please leave it locked no lower than that level when you have finished editing.
Place Editing
Not only were our URs and PURs out of control, places from both editors and trusted users have become a major issue. Misspelled names, wrong categories, missing addresses (EVERY business place should have an address!!) poor location and incorrectly assigned photos are all over the map. Use the powerful Place Browser (link below) and the information on the Place editing page to get these places corrected.
Gas Stations
Gas Stations should be locked to level 3 but, only after all important data fields in the gas station have been filled. At least ensure that Brand, Name and Address have information. Remember to ask a hosting local if you need help identifying gas station information. When a convenience store is co-located with a gas station, naming varies, depending on the setup. ARCO ampm and Chevron Extra Mile have brand-associated convenience stores, and should include that Category. Circle K convenience stores are sometimes affiliated with certain gas stations and should have their own, separate, Place Point.
For editors below rank 3, once you have completely filled out a gas station with the min required information, please ask for a lock.
Complex Intersections
There are many complicated intersections in the Bay Area which should not be edited without consulting a local senior editor, even if the presence of URs seems to indicate problems. Some of these intersections have been carefully refined to achieve the best Waze performance, which can involve years of testing, adjustment, and experimentation. Others are locations which are currently under construction, and daily changes to the physical roads cause Wazers to report problems which will no longer exist by the time our edits could take effect. We have done our best to lock the most important of these intersections to Rank 6. When dealing with URs at these locations, please keep in mind that few, if any additional road changes are required. Again, please consult with a Local Host before making changes.
Toll Roads / HOV / HOT / Truck Lanes
It is our custom to mark the Toll checkbox only on the entrance segments to Toll Roads, or at Toll collection locations. HOV and HOT road types have already been set correctly according to our local practices. If you have a question about one of these lanes, please contact a Local Host.
Left turns at intersections without traffic signals
In California it is perfectly legal to make a left turn across one double yellow line. Drivers are sometimes confused and think that they can't, when in reality it is permitted. Turning across two double yellow lines, spaced apart 2 feet or more, is considered a barrier, and is illegal to cross. Passing another vehicle over a double yellow line is prohibited. For illustration of these concepts, visit the California DMV Drivers' Handbook page on traffic lanes
One of the most common complaints we receive in the Los Angeles Metro area is when Waze directs drivers to turn left from a smaller side street on to a major thoroughfare, without the benefit of a traffic control signal. Most of these turns are completely legal and, when driven properly, can be significant time-savers on a route, as opposed to waiting at a traffic signal, sometimes through several cycles. It is also known that making such turns can be difficult at certain times of the day, due to passing cross-traffic. On many larger roads in California, we have Center Left Turn Lanes, which are intended for use in completing left turns to, and from, driveways and side streets. Please do not disallow left turns due to URs reporting “dangerous” or “too difficult” turns, without consulting a level 5 or 6 Local Host.
We usually inform the reporter of such a UR that if they wait and complete the left turn, it may actually be faster than the alternative. If it’s not faster, then their wait time will contribute to Waze’s database, thus helping to discourage the routing server from suggesting left turns at that site. We also suggest to the reporters that if they feel too uncomfortable making such left turns, they can always turn right instead, and let Waze recalculate. More info about this can be found on the UR Guidance page.
Construction
There are a number of major construction projects in process within the overall MapRaid area. These construction projects can cause frequent intermittent road closures. Many closures change daily and cause great numbers of URs to appear. When handling URs in one of these areas, be aware that reports of "Turn not allowed", "Missing road", "Wrong driving direction" are common, but may not indicate a map problem that can be fixed, because the physical road situation will change before our edits can take effect.
LINKS:
Metro.net hover the "Grow" tab at the top
U-turns
Note: Important Change
In California, U-turns are generally allowed unless unsafe, or specifically denied by signage. In general we can confirm, lock or "harden" U-turns (click to remove the Purple question mark indicating a soft turn -- see the Wiki) on major streets, which have room for large vehicles to turn, but please avoid confirming or enabling them on residential streets.
Alleys
In California, we have many access/service roads which run behind businesses and between houses on residential streets. We mark these Alleys as Parking Lot Roads, to prevent routing through them. Often, Google address points are closer to these alleys than to the street they belong to, and Waze routing suffers. The correct response is to "nudge" the House Numbers on the streets along (either side of) the alley, so they will become trusted. See the UR page below for a suggested response to these issues. Alleys should not be named, unless they are signed.
UR & MP Guidance
As the LA MapRaid begins, the greater Los Angeles area has over 6,000 open Update Requests (URs) and over 500 Map Problems (MPs); some of the URs are older than 300 days. Investigating and responding to these URs and MPs will be a primary objective of the MapRaid teams. Therefore, a UR Guidance page has been created to help guide teams through the maze of MPs and URs.
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As we have now reached 7 days from the beginning of the Raid, and URs are being closed, please double check that the UR you are closing still is not/cannot be solved. Sometimes a question has been left for verification, and a map correction delayed, pending a response/no response. Also, DO always leave a closing comment; no UR should be closed without one. |
Cameras
Speed Cameras are never used in California.
Following is a list of Cities known to currently use Red Light Cameras: Beverly Hills, Cerritos, Commerce, Covina, Culver City, Garden Grove, Hawthorne, Los Alamitos, Lynnwood, Montebello, Newhall, Oxnard, Santa Clarita, Saugus, Valencia, Ventura, West Hollywood
In addition, there are Red Light Cameras along many of the Light Rail and Metro bus lines throughout the Los Angeles area.
Mapping Resources
Our local GIS maps are almost always more up-to-date and correct than the Caltrans information. Please use them instead of any Caltrans documentation.
GIS
Most of the interactive viewers in the links below will open with many layers enabled. The maps will run faster if you disable everything but Streets or Roads, and only enable Parcels when needed. Marin County
Solano County (requires Silverlight plugin)
Communication
Communication will be handled mainly in Slack and WME chat which means WME Chat addon will be required (which can be found here). Chat rooms will be split up and named by location or group.
In addition, there is a Waze Forum dedicated to the MapRaid here, where questions can be asked, and specific issues may be identified as the Raid progresses.
Reference Links
The Basics
- New editor welcome page
- Waze Map Editor
- Best Map Editing Practice
- Editing manual
- Common editing mistakes
- How to make a Permalink
- All about using the WME Chat
- Community Plugins, Extensions and Tools where you'll links and descriptions to most of the editing scripts being used. Some of these are essential to good editing, and others make the editing process much easier. WME Validator, URO+, and WME Toolbox are highly recommended.
Recommended Tools for MegaMapRaid San Francisco Bay Area
- The LA MapRaid Group/Region Overlay is available on GreasyFork to indicate the Group areas on the map as you work. You will need TamperMonkey (Chrome) or GreaseMonkey (Firefox) to install and use this.
- UR Comments - a tremendous time and labor saving tool with automation and integration with URO+, to help with working URs. Read the documentation.
- Place Browser - In combination with the Place Name Harmonization list, this is an invaluable tool for working on existing places. Be sure to click the About tab to get an overview of the tool.
- The WME Reference Sheet[PDF] is a printable double-sided tri-fold quick reference guide to some of the common topics used in WME.
- Validator is a script that validates a map area in Waze Map Editor, highlights issues and generates a very detailed report with wiki references and solutions.
Download links:
* For Chrome browser please download the script at Chrome Web Store * For Firefox browser please download the script at GreasyFork.org
Note: for Firefox browser you also need Greasemonkey or Tampermonkey installed.
- WME Chat Addon is a script that improves the WME chat GUI. For a list of all the features check the thread here.
Tapermonkey/Greasmonkey is required to use this script
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Click here to view the MapRaid! LA forum thread |
Mapraid edit lists
Spreadsheets and forms are being used to streamline management of various group efforts and track important edits. Below you can find links to use these these forms, sheets, and see the lists.
Scheduled Edits
These are edits which need to be completed but must be postponed in order to retain history for UR Solving. These edits are designated to specific editors to complete, once they get the green light from the MapRaid! leaders.
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These editing tasks have been delegated to specific editors for future completion at the end of MapRaid! LA. Please DO NOT EDIT or try to fix any of these items unless you are the designated "Editor to Complete" for that item in the list. These edits may only be completed once the "Continue When" instructions on the row for that item are met. If you have any questions please ask one of the listed Local Hosts. |
Please enter new information on this form
Click here to view this list in fullscreen
Boots on the ground
We need local boots on the ground to check things. Please add requests for locals to go and scout things in person, as in on the road. Some examples when this would be used include to check and see if:
- The street view is accurate,
- A road is really closed,
- A turn really allowed/prohibited, etc.
To make a new request, or respond to an existing request, please use this form.
Results
MapRaid Promotions
Some editors really let their bright side out, and let their community skills shine. This is even more evident in a concerted group effort with high-density editing like a MapRaid!. Editors of all ranks working closely with each other and the Champs, really lets us everyone get to know each other, and allows certain editors to be recognized for their skills and effort.
When the Champs see someone consistently editing well, interacting well with the community, and knowledgeable of the various details from the Wiki, they can issue promotions. This can be anything from the size of a managed area, to a rank increase, or even a new role.