Correction of directions to POI

[rwish]

I'm a recent TomTom user (540tm) and have a question. The other day I entered a POI as a destination and the directions given were incorrect. The reason is the POI is located right next to an interstate (POI is listed in the correct location on device) but the 540 thinks that after getting off the exit ramp that there is access from the exit ramp to the POI. I went to map corrections but there really isn't anything to cover this situation. The direction and accessibility of the exit ramp are correct...it just thinks there is a bogus road off the ramp to the POI. Is there any way to correct situations like this?

 

[dhn]

If you do a route demo to the poi location, do you see the route taking this bogus road?

 

[rwish]

Yep. There is a small arrow pointing to the right directly off the exit ramp when none exists. At first I was sure I could do a map correct but when I went thru the process the only roads I can mark as non-existent are the South bound lane of the highway or the whole exit ramp.

 

[dhn]

Perhaps you'll have a better chance here:

Map Share? Reporter

 

[rwish]

Thanks. I'll check it out and report back so that other interested know if it can help them in a similar situation.

PS Because of the fact that TomTom thinks there is an access road to the POI from the highway it prevented it from giving the best route. The reality is that from the exit you need to take a right and go around the block. That extra distance caused TomTom to provide this route vs another route which is actually slighly shorter. It give me some concern as I'll be wondering what other destinations are recommended because of similar problems with incorrect routing.

 

[canderson]

Is there any way to correct situations like this?

If there's no road there, I would just use the 'Correct a map error', and block that little section of road. Your own unit will also remember a road you've blocked, and will not try to route you on it again. Then you can use the feature mentioned above to see if that gets the correction propagated any faster to the rest of the world.

 

[rwish]

Is there any way to correct situations like this?

If there's no road there, I would just use the 'Correct a map error', and block that little section of road. Your own unit will also remember a road you've blocked, and will not try to route you on it again. Then you can use the feature mentioned above to see if that gets the correction propagated any faster to the rest of the world.

I tried that but it didn't work. Here's the problem...the device doesn't think there is a road there but it still asks me to take a right! When I went to mapshare and tried to block the road my only options were to block entrance onto the exit ramp (which iwouldn't be true) or to block the right turn at the stop light at the end of the exit ramp. The place where its asking me to take a right into the school is in the middle of the exit ramp even though there is no raod there. It's strange. It's almost like it saying "Well there's no raod there but the school is so close just go ahead an jump the curb!

 

[rwish]

Even though it looks like the POI is in the right place maybe an option is to try and correct the POI by moving just a tad away from the exit ramp? I'm brainstorming here as I'm not sure what the device is thinging.

 

[canderson]

Ah, OK. There's really no road. Having set up hundreds of 'custom' POI whose coordinates are "off road" that cause me the same problem, I think I know what's happening to you.

Your unit will attempt to take you to the closest point on a road to any POI whose coordinates are not on a road. This occurs very frequently when dealing with a POI whose coordinates are in a parking lot of a large mall or business park where the location of the POI is closer to another major road (e.g., your interstate highway) than it is the nearby surface road where access to the area actually exists.

This has been a very rare event for me when using the stock POI lists since it's not common that they will use coordinates for a POI that is in a position like that where they haven't mapped at least the major 'roads' within the mall area. You've evidently found one of the exceptions. More typically, you will find that a stock POI will be placed on a road - even if it's just the 'address' of the entire mall - unless interior 'roads' have also been mapped.

Here's a classic example of the problem. The smiley face is the POI. Notice how much closer it is to the interstate highway than Bannock St. which provides the actual entrance to the lot. TomTom's maps have no knowledge of the configuration (or existence) of that parking lot, so the unit tries to drop you at a position just about at the end of the on ramp!

MOST of the stock TomTom POI I have encountered seem to be using geolocation of business addresses and avoid this problem. In the above example, if it were from a stock POI, it would have geolocated the Bannock St. address, and Bannock St. is where you'd be headed.

 

[canderson]

Even though it looks like the POI is in the right place maybe an option is to try and correct the POI by moving just a tad away from the exit ramp? I'm brainstorming here as I'm not sure what the device is thinging.

If you'll tell us what your POI was, we can take a look on the TomTom map on our end and see if there's a reason why it's not geolocated to the street address vs. some off-road position, and perhaps suggest the best solution.

 

[rwish]

Even though it looks like the POI is in the right place maybe an option is to try and correct the POI by moving just a tad away from the exit ramp? I'm brainstorming here as I'm not sure what the device is thinging.

If you'll tell us what your POI was, we can take a look on the TomTom map on our end and see if there's a reason why it's not geolocated to the street address vs. some off-road position, and perhaps suggest the best solution.

What you described in the post above is exactly what is happening. The POI and address are:
Sycamore Junior High School
5757 Cooper Road
Montgomery, OH 45242

Don't know what it would do if I approached from the North (traveling south). In my case I was northbound on I71.

 

[canderson]

Yup. That one has been geolocated in its "actual" position rather than with the Cooper Rd. address, and must be a few feet closer to the exit ramp of I-71 than it is to Cooper -- hence, putting you as close as possible ON a road, it drops you off on the exit ramp!

If you were northbound, the routing would likely take you clear north to Pfeiffer, around and south on 71 again so as to put you in exactly the same spot.

 

[rwish]

Yup. That one has been geolocated in its "actual" position rather than with the Cooper Rd. address, and must be a few feet closer to the exit ramp of I-71 than it is to Cooper -- hence, putting you as close as possible ON a road, it drops you off on the exit ramp!

If you were northbound, the routing would likely take you clear north to Pfeiffer, around and south on 71 again so as to put you in exactly the same spot.

I was northbound and that's exactly what it did! I knew better but had kind of zoned out. It wasn't until I had passed the CC Hwy exit (#14) before I thought "Hey! Where are we going?"

If this is a rare exception so be it. It concerned me though as I was thinking how many other times this would happen. Would moving the POI furthur west away from the exit ramp work? If it did is that a viable solution? Just curious at this point.

 

[canderson]

Given the situation, the best location for this POI would one of the parking lot entrances. I can't tell which lot is used for what, so...

One would be on the driveway entrance to the school (just south of Delray Drive) off Cooper. That's at N39.22900, W84.36845.

The entrance to the bigger lot off Cooper is at N39.22915, W84.36979

 

[rwish]

I did a map correction and moved the POI location closer to Cooper just south of Delray. I then did an "A/B Prepare Route" simulation to see what it would do and it worked. It now correctly takes me to exit 14 to Cooper.

Hope I don't run into many more locations like this!

Thanks for the help.