This page will describe how to close roads in real-time with Waze
Introduction
There are 2 ways of closing roads on Waze:
- Using the Waze mobile app (iOS or Android)
- Using the Waze Map Editor (WME) web tool.
Closing roads using the Waze App
1. Who can do it?
Any wazers (Waze app user) can report a closure through the app
2. Where can the road be closed
Only on roads connecting in the immediate vicinity (around 100m) of the actual position of the wazer, and only in the driving direction of the wazer.
3. When does it become visible on the app for the community?
For a basic street, with low traffic, the closure will appear immediately for 30 min. It will be suspended as soon as traffic is detected. It will be extended if another user confirmes the closure.
For more important road, several similar closure report within a few minutes are needed for the closure to come online. The number of similar closure reports required for closure to come online depends on
- The type of roads (more closure reports are required for more important roads)
- The level of trust of the signaling wazers (closure reports by new wazer or inactive users will require more similar closure reports than an experienced editor to become visible on the app)
4. How is it reported to the editor community?
When a closure through the app goes live (so after being reported by multiple wazers), it appears on WME and a message is sent on the EAC Discord Channel (direct communication channel between editors and partners in the EAC)
NOTES
- End of closure is determined when the server detects traffic again on the road (so a wazer cannot close a busy road, the server will detect that it’s a fake closure), or when an editor or partner decides to delete the closure.
- Closures through the app are checked automatically by Waze servers and manually by the editing community. Any abuse is immediately reported and abusive wazer may be banned with immediate effect.
Closing roads using WME
1. Who can do it?
- Editors from Level 4 within their editable area (For more information about ranks and level, see here)
- Area Managers within their Area of management
- Country Manager and Coordinator within their country
- Waze Partners within their defined Area. Waze Partners are not editors but are members of the community with responsibilities in traffic management (Cities, Police services, Road construction authorities,…) who have access to a specific tool to report problems/closures and to receive traffic information feeds from Waze. Access to the Waze Partner Program is subject to analysis by Waze Staff, and is independent from the editing community. You can read more about the partnership here.
2. Where can the road be closed?
Anywhere within the editable area of the editor.
3. When does it become visible on the app for the community?
Immediately. It is know as Real Time Closure (RTC)
4. What information is used to define when and how a road should be closed?
- Social media/communication of local authorities (Police, Cities, Government agencies)
- Social media/communication of event organizer (Car free day, Cycling races, Marathon,…)
- Social media/communication of Road construction contractors
- Ideally, direct communication with editing community through the Discord channel.
NOTES
- Closures through WME are done only by trusted editors, or vouched Partner, based on publicly available information or based on actual verification on the road itself (similar to closure through the app)
- Closures through WME can be scheduled in advance, with or without advance warning messages to the drivers through the app.
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Last edited by Kstor 80 on 8/02/2024