GPS tracks, contributed by OSM members still are sometimes very important source of information for mapping. However, built-in OSM database has certain issues, such as inability to delete obviously harmful data, such as airborne tracks, huge wandering spots, created by receivers in standing cars, etc. Currently, all responsibility for GPS data quality is on contributors, since they have to take care of getting rid of wandering spots, super-generalized tracks, tracks with high GDOP and so on before uploading it. While only a few people actually know about all these aspects and care about it. Complexity of track contribution process (at least, it’s not a”one click procedure”) makes fresh tracks more and more rare.

Strava heat map is another (often - way more dense) source of GPS tracks. But it’s limited by running and cycling activities.

For a long time, I’ve been saying, that any more or less popular mobile map/navigation application, which uses OSM data, can help to improve GPS tracks coverage. And being properly developed, it will not require any actions from its user, except giving his permission to record and upload tracks anonymously. It’s an ideal case, where valuable contribution could be fully automated and independent of user’s skills or knowledge. Set of simple filters (GDOP, top speed, geolocation source provider) can reduce consumed traffic and improve data quality.

And here is an example of tracks, collected for only a week by Yandex (major Russian web/mobile company) commercial applications. Note, how dense their point cloud is. And they updating their track layer, used for their own collaborative mapping project, every week. This screenshot was taken by OSM member luiswoo using Bing satellite imagery and Yandex GPS point cloud, which can not be used for OSM mapping.

So, keeping in mind all that recent controversy about contributions, made by untrained users of popular application, based on OSM data, I’d like to mention again, that voluntary GPS data contribution does not require any training, if track recording application is properly developed.