New York/Speed limits Discussion View history

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.

• The NYS statewide maximum speed limit is 55 mph unless otherwise posted.
• The NYC citywide maximum speed limit is 25 mph unless otherwise posted.

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.

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  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.

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  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.