#Waze map editor level update

'That is when we set up a perimeter and it lets you know if you are routing in or through an evacuation zone,' Saunders said. 'It's extremely vital.'įor Hurricane Dorian last year, the app used evacuation zones for the first time. 'Closing down certain roads so people know which way to evacuate,' Saunders said. When Hurricane Irma hit the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm in 2017, Saunders was updating the Waze app.

(She's at the Global Champ level now.) She often works with the Florida Department of Transportation and meets with local South Florida governments. Saunders has been editing maps for Waze for eight years. I mean, the construction here is like, nonstop,' Saunders said. 'That is one thing that we're always striving to do, is to make sure we're on top of everything. 'You have to look at lots of information, GPS points, go look at designs of the roadway…'Īccording to Waze, 1.1 million people use the app to get around in Fort Lauderdale and Miami every month, so there's a lot of user reports to sort through. 'I don't know how many times I've touched the Palmetto and the Dolphin,' Molner said.

#Waze map editor level update

From Jacksonville, Molner can update the Waze map when problems arise on the Palmetto-more than 300 miles away. Editors get more and more authority to tinker with Waze maps around the country as they accumulate experience and expertise. He's one of the star volunteer map editors for the Southeast U.S. 'What are you doing in your area? This is what I'm doing in my area, maybe we can find a better way to do it,' Brandon Molner said is what he gets out of the annual meetup. Miami-Dade County partnered with the app in 2016 to mutually share traffic and construction data. Map editors from all over the country are in Miami this weekend for the company's annual meetup to brainstorm new app features with its passionate volunteers. 'I'm putting my time towards something important and it helps everybody.' 'It's a fun hobby,' map editor Abigail Saunders said. Simply because they enjoy helping with traffic. They also solve routing issues and add places to the ever-changing map. These volunteers for the company review and respond to user reports for everything from obstacles on the road, to construction to accidents. Every time you open the Waze app on your smartphone to navigate around traffic on your commute – there's a map editor behind making sure you have an accurate and efficient route to work.