North Carolina
This page serves as the primary resource for editors of North Carolina. 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.
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Introduction
North Carolina is a part of the South Atlantic region, which includes the states and/or territories of:
Mapping resources
Before editing the maps in North Carolina, 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.
State Resources
NCDOT Resources
NC Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
NC Association of Rural Planning Organizations
County Resources - GIS Data
Major Construction Projects
Major construction projects with primary editors and additional information is listed here.
Construction Information Sources
- NCDOT Traveler Information Management System (TIMS)
- North Carolina Traffic & Travel at DriveNC.gov
- Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO)
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 North Carolina.
- North Carolina section of Waze forum
- The South Atlantic region forum
- The USA section of Waze Forum
- The USA segment unlock requests
Area Managers for North Carolina can be found in the table below.
New editors should consider checking into the formal mentoring program available at no charge.
We also use Discord for communicating in the South Atlantic region. Feel free to either click here or contact the RC or a North Carolina SM (listed below) for an invitation.
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.
There are 553 Incorporated Cities and Towns in North Carolina. See Cities and Towns for proper naming information. At this time these should be the only ones labeled as such.
- NOTE: North Carolina does not use Census Designated Places (CDPs) for city names.
Major roads
North Carolina follows the general road naming and road type guidelines of the USA.
An exception currently to the USA Roads standard is North Carolina state highways. North Carolina has numbered state highways from Controlled Access Freeways down to Alleys. Because of this, North Carolina strictly uses Functional Classification to set road types for state highways and below.
Road Names
See Road types for general rules where North Carolina does not specifically differ.
See Military_Bases for a complete list of rules for mapping on Military Bases.
North Carolina has two classes of state funded roads, Primary State Highways, and Secondary Roads (aka State Rte or Road). Please carefully observe the following naming formats for roads in these categories.
Primary State Highways
Secondary Roads (aka State Rte or Road)
Secondary Roads are route numbers of 1000 or greater (four digits or more).
- These Roads are not signed with shields. Regular green or white road signs are most commonly used to designate secondary roads.
- On green signs, the prefix "SR" should precede the road number.
- On white signs (commonly attached to stop signs), it will just have the road number. (See pictures above)
- On green signs, the prefix "SR" should precede the road number.
- These roads should be named "SR-####" Use a single hyphen and no spaces between SR and the road number.
- These names are typically used as Alternate Road names, along with Primary names which match local road signage.
- SR numbers can be found using the NCDOT Secondary Roads Database Lookup.
NOTE: North Carolina does not use County Road numbers. If found, these should be updated to the Secondary Road format
Road Function Class
See Road types as a general rule.
We have also incorporated the NC Functional Class Map into are road classification system:
This should be the first step in determining how a road should be type. The list below are minimums (e.g. a State Highway would be at a minimum a minor highway. It could also be a major highway or freeway depending on functional class)
- Freeway - Interstates and all other roads with no at grade intersections.
- Major Highway - US Highways, Interstates that have at grade intersections.
- Minor Highway - State Highways, US Business Highways.
- Primary Street - State Business Highways.
If the road is not defined as one of the above then please use the functional class to determine what type to qualify the road as.
Using the NC Functional Class Map: The NC Functional Class Map is divided into 9 road type classifications. Most road classifications will minimally be defined by the above criteria. For all other roads that do not fit into that criteria, please use the references below:
Functional Class Type - Waze Type
- Interstate - Freeway
- Other Freeway - Freeway
- Other Principal Arterial - Major Highway
- Minor Arterial - Minor Highway
- Major Collector - Primary Street
- Minor Collector - Primary Street
- Local - Street
Contact the Area Manager or State Manager if you feel there is an exception to these rules. Consistency is key. Do not change a road type for routing sake or to make it appear on the map at a higher speed. Also, do not switch road types every few segments just because the functional class does (Contact the AM or SM for help).
Function Class Quick Reference Chart
Refer to this chart to determine the road type of a given paved public road based on the North Carolina functional class.
To use this chart, first determine the functional class of a road, and whether it is a signed, numbered highway in a particular highway system.
Where the column for the road's highway system and the row for the road's North Carolina functional class meet, you will find the proper road type for that particular road.
A number of examples are given below the chart.
Highway Systems | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Interstate |
Interstate Business Loop/Spur | ![]() US Hwy |
US Hwy BUS, SPUR, LOOP | ![]() State Hwy (incl. some special routes) |
State Hwy BUS, SPUR[a], LOOP | Locally-maintained | ||
example | I-95 N | I-95 Business | US-301 | US-301 Business | NC-87 | NC-87 Business | Robertson St | |
N C F u n c t i o n a l C l a s s |
Interstate[b] | Fw | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Other Freeway[c] | n/a | Fw | Fw | Fw | Fw | Fw | Fw | |
Other Principal Arterial[d] | n/a | Major | Major | Major | Major | Major | Major | |
Minor Arterial[e] | n/a | Major | Major | Minor | Minor | Minor | Minor | |
Major Collector | n/a | Major | Major | Minor | Minor | PS | PS | |
Minor Collector | n/a | Major | Major | Minor | Minor | PS | PS | |
Local/not mapped | n/a | Major | Major | Minor | Minor | PS | Street |
^a When a state highway "SPUR" route is used to connect a state highway with another state highway, a US highway, or an Interstate (i.e., when it is used as a connector/CONN route), use the first state highway column.
^b Also known as Principal Arterial - Interstate.
^c Also known as Principal Arterial - Freeway.
^d Also known as Principal Arterial.
^e Also known as Other Arterial.
For example,
- An Interstate Business Loop classified as a Minor Arterial is a Major Highway .
- A US Highway classified as a Minor Arterial is a Major Highway .
- A US Highway Spur 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 a Collector is a Minor Highway .
- A locally-maintained road classified as an Other Principal Arterial is a Major Highway .
- A locally-maintained road classified as a Collector is a Primary Street .
Fw | Freeway |
Major | Major Highway |
Minor | Minor Highway |
PS | Primary Street |
Street | Street |
Speed Limits
See Speed limits as a general rule.
Do not assume! - Know the correct speed limit for a segment before setting a speed limit.
If you do not know the speed limit for a segment leave it blank. It is safer to not set a speed limit then to get it wrong.
North Carolina statutory speed limit laws are:
- Within municipal corporate limits is 35 MPH unless otherwise posted.
- Outside municipal corporate limits is 55 MPH unless otherwise posted.
- Military Installations is 30 MPH unless otherwise posted.
- Interstates (Freeways) all have posted speed limits and a maximum of 70 MPH.
Function Class | Status |
Freeway | 100% |
Major Highway | 100% |
Minor Highway | 100% |
Primary Street | 99.3% |
Street | 26.6% |
USA Score | 98.5% |
USA Rank | 10 |
Updated | 2018-08-13 |
Road Locking
In North Carolina 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.
Segment Type | Statewide |
---|---|
Freeway | 5 |
Ramp | Highest rank of connected segment |
Major Highway | 4 |
Minor Highway | 3 |
Primary Street | 2 |
Street | 1 |
• • • • Ferry • • • • | 5 |
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Railroad |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| | 2 |
Note: Certain areas may be locked higher than the above minimums. Please do not lower locks unless approved by the RC or SM of North Carolina.
Special roads
Drivable roads
North Carolina follows the standard USA guidelines for all of the following special road types.
- Divided highways and roadways
- Carpool, HOV, transit lanes
- Roundabouts and traffic circles
- Dead ends and culs-de-sac
- Toll roads
- Partial and scheduled restrictions
- Private installations and military bases
Non-drivable roads
Review the Wiki guidelines for non-drivable roads to ensure compliance with the general guidelines.
- Railroads - NOTICE: New guidelines as of June 28, 2016.
- Allowed Railroad Names in NC are:
- Craggy Mountain Line
- Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
- New Hope Valley Railway
- Craggy Mountain Line
- Allowed Railroad Names in NC are:
Other Drivable roads
- Dirt Road / 4X4 Trail - NOTE: If the Function Class calls for an unpaved road to be Minor or Major Highway, consult with the State Managers before changing it.
- Parking Lot Roads
- Private Roads - NOTE: Read up on this before using this road type. This road type can be harmful to routing if used incorrectly.
- Toll Roads - NOTE: There is currently one tollway in the State of North Carolina.
- Ferry - Contact the State Manager before using this road type.
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.
Road Closures in North Carolina are tracked here.
- Note: Closures for vehicle accidents do not need to be tracked.
Statewide road closure page:
We now have two sources for NCDOT closure information:
Citywide road closure pages:
Blue Ridge Parkway Seasonal Closures: Updated daily at approximately 7am
Places
North Carolina 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.
When moderating Place Update Requests (PURs), please be aware that they are not added to the map until the Wazer hits Done. This means that a passenger of a car may take a great photo of a business, but be a block or two down the road before it is added. Zoom into the map where the Place was added and ensure they are where they are supposed to be.
See Military_Bases#Places for rules for mapping places on Military Bases.
Photos of any kind are NOT ALLOWED on places within Military Bases!
Chain Name Harmonization
In an effort to keep common Places the same across the region, the South Atlantic wiki page now has a list to reference. The list includes Names, Alt Names, Categories, and Websites of Chain companies across the region. If you do not see a Chain listed and feel it should be added, please fill out this form to submit it for review.
Place Locking
Places can be locked once they have enough information so trusted users trying to change the information that has already been verified will need to have the changes approved. As a rule we lock Airports, Hospitals, and Freeway Rest Areas at 5 and everything else can be locked at 3, but only after it minimally has the following information:
- Correct Category
- Name - Formatted with Title Case (Use capital letters for the first letter in each word)
- Area or Point with Destination Point in the correct location
- Address - House number and correct street name
Please try to fill in all information available, but those items are the minimum.
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 North Carolina.
Speed Cameras are NOT CURRENTLY LEGAL in the State of North Carolina.
Red light Cameras are legal only in specific jurisdictions.
Known Jurisdictions
There are also cameras mounted on traffic signal posts that are used by traffic engineers to observe current conditions. These devices CAN NOT issue tickets.
There are traditional traffic monitoring cameras covering most of the major highways in the state. These send live video to NC DOT & local media and serve ONLY as a traffic monitoring system.
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.
Tracked Projects
Use Waze NC Projects Sheet for tracking.
Hospitals
- Add/Update place for all Hospitals.
- Add/Update place for Emergency Rooms.
Fire Stations
- Add/Update place for all Fire Stations.
Schools
- Add/Update place for all schools.
Freeway Rest Areas
- Update freeway rest areas to the match standards.
Shelters
- Add/Update place for shelters.
- DO NOT add shelter to the place type.
VA Clinics
- Add/Update place for VA Clinics.
National Cemeteries
- Add/Update place for National Cemeteries.
Non-tracked Projects
Railroads
- Railroads need to be updated to new guidelines. (changed on June 28, 2016)
- Refer to Special Roads for a list of allowed Railroad names.
Area Managers
The table below identifies the editors also designated as Area Managers or higher who are editing in North Carolina. If you have any questions, please consider contacting them directly as needed. If you are an Area Manager that covers North Carolina, or a USA Country Manager that does a lot of work in North Carolina, please add yourself to this list (alphabetical by username) in the correct rank section.
The editor who also serves as the Regional Coordinator for North Carolina 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.
North Carolina — Area, State, Country Managers, and Regional Coordinators | ||
Regional Coordinator(s): [RC] xanderb (PM) ![]() [ARC1] dfortney (PM) ![]() | ||
Username | Area Managed | Comments |
---|---|---|
Country Managers (South Atlantic region) | ||
xanderb(6) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Covers SAT region |
crazycaveman(6) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() ![]() ![]() Resident of SC Covers SAT region |
dfortney(6) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Resident of state NC State Manager |
whathappened15(6) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() ![]() ![]() Resident of TN Covers SAT region |
jwe252(5) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() ![]() Resident of SC Covers SAT region |
uscwaller(5) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() ![]() SC SM Covers SAT region |
State Managers (South Atlantic region) | ||
DCLemur(5) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() ![]() Resident of state |
hiroaki27609(5) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() Resident of state |
s18slider(5) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() Resident of state |
The_Cre8r(5) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() Resident of state |
ABelter(4) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() Raleigh Resident |
Area Managers | ||
grsmhiker(5) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() TN State Manager, SAT MSM, area extends into Graham, Swain, Haywood Counties |
Onmywaysir(5) [PM] ![]() |
Statewide | ![]() |
RaptorGuyInNC(5) [PM] ![]() |
Alliance & Bayboro (Also SD State Manager) | ![]() |
XKSpeed(5) [PM] ![]() |
Murphy, Andrews, Hayesville (Also GA State Manager) | ![]() |
idontkerr(4) [PM] ![]() |
Eastern NC | ![]() Garner |
NightReaper86(4) [PM] ![]() |
Triad | ![]() Columbia, SC AM |
Nolay2011(4) [PM] ![]() |
New Bern, Jacksonville / Camp Lejeune, Topsail Beach | ![]() |
NUhomer(4) [PM] ![]() |
North Charlotte Metro | ![]() |
Rooksie(4) [PM] ![]() |
Sapphire Valley Area | ![]() |
russwd(4) [PM] ![]() |
Cleveland, Rutherford, and Polk counties | ![]() |
Confedyank(3) [PM] ![]() |
Alamance County | ![]() NC Places Perfectionist |
friendlybear(3) [PM] ![]() |
Wake and Harnett Counties | ![]() |
Goddard244(3) [PM] ![]() |
Wilmington, Jacksonville, and the Crystal Coast | ![]() |
ShaneNottingham(3) [PM] ![]() |
Western NC | ![]() Asheville |
WazieQ(3) [PM] ![]() |
Durham & Orange Counties | ![]() |
Other states and territories
The other states and territories of the USA can be found in the navigation box below. Press the "show" button to open the box.
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