• Warning for the impact of the APR when calculating the route in the Waze application
- The City Council is a collaborative partner of both platforms through the Mobility Department and the Traffic Management Center
- The APR is established as a space for the application of measures restricting access, circulation, and parking of vehicles to non-residents
- The Mobility Councillor, Jesús Carbonell, has emphasized that the incorporation of these elements into two of the main navigation applications will improve urban transit accessibility and flow
GPS navigation applications Google Maps and Waze have integrated all the information about the APR (Residential Priority Area) of Ciutat Vella Nord into their map management tools. From now on, all drivers planning to travel by vehicle through the urban areas included in the APR and using these applications will have alerts and voice instructions on routes, alternatives, and restrictions within this area.
Waze and Google Maps are two of the most popular navigation applications currently available to drivers. Both serve as route calculators and guides to reach a desired destination in the shortest time possible and with the best route options. In addition to providing the fastest route between selected start, end, and intermediate points, they also alert about any incidents or accidents that may affect the journey (such as traffic jams, detours, etc.). They suggest the best available route, the optimal departure time based on traffic conditions at each moment, and also provide information on other points of interest, such as gas station locations.
However, until now, the restrictions resulting from the implementation of the APR in Ciutat Vella in Valencia were not reflected in either of the two applications. To prevent undesirable situations, especially for non-residents in the city who are unaware of this mechanism of control and surveillance automation of the preferred use area by residents, the Traffic Management Center proposed the inclusion of APR specifications in both Google Maps and Waze.
Valencia is a collaborative member of the platforms
The Valencia City Council has been a preferred partner of the Waze platform since October 2024, as it is a collaborative application. This partnership allows editing street closures, indicating when there are works, races, accidents, and now, the APR. As reported by the Traffic Management Center, the need to include APR incidents in the application became more evident, especially after the storm on October 29, which caused numerous mobility issues across the metropolitan and regional areas. In the case of Google Maps, it is a less collaborative platform, so besides being a partner, the relevant changes need to be requested and the data uploaded to Open Data. The Valencia City Council has been a partner since January of this year.
As pointed out by the Mobility Councillor, Jesús Carbonell, the incorporation of these elements into two of the main navigation applications will «improve urban transit accessibility and flow.» Carbonell has recalled that the Residential Priority Area (APR) of Ciutat Vella is established as a space for the application of measures restricting access, circulation, and parking of vehicles to non-residents, with the aim of preserving the sustainable use of the roads within the area.
