Introduction

This diary entry describes my view on how best to map and tag pedestrian crossings and bicycle crossings. Best, considering detail, correctness, time consumption, clarity and usability. The many words in this diary may make it seem complicated, but the actual tagging is easy and direct node tagging of what you see on the road, with as little redundancy and required expertise as possible. As follows:

A simple unmarked, uncontrolled crossing, without special characteristics such as tactile paving, lowered kerbs or traffic island, is just an intersection node without any tags.

A simple zebra can be tagged with highway=crossing + crossing:markings=zebra. The usage of highway=crossing + crossing=zebra is seen as entry level duck tagging.

A simple crossing with other markings can be tagged with highway=crossing + crossing:markings=dots/dashes/lines/surface

If traffic lights control the crossing, add crossing:signals=yes

If there are special kerbs, add kerb=lowered/flush/…

If there is tactile paving, add tactile_paving=yes

If there is a crossing island within the crossing, add crossing:island=yes

If the crossing path goes uninterrupted over the road it crosses, so that the road is interrupted rather than the crossing path, add crossing:continous=yes

Scope:

• Footway crossing any higher order way, including cycleway and busway, excluding rail.
• Cycleway crossing any higher order way, including busway, excluding rail.
• Mentioned, but not detailed: paths, including combined footway/cycleway paths as mapped regulary in Germany.
• Mentioned, but excluded: designated horse crossings.
• Mentioned, but excluded for now: how to map a crossing as a way.
• Mentioned, but excluded for now: detailed mapping of the operation of traffic signals.
• Mentioned: level crossing over tram railways

Basic principles:

… See full entry

Turbo roundabouts are relatively new. They first appeared in Nederland, but are now starting to appear in many countries, including the US. I have tried my hand at mapping one, guided by a few front runners, then did a second one on my own. This diary entry details what I learned. As I go on, I will add things learned to this diary entry!

See [roundabout=turbo] (osm.wiki/Tag:roundabout%3Dturbo)

Variations: It’s hard to find two turbo roundabouts that are exactly the same. This is what I learned: Take care to start with an easy one, and never blindly apply the prescriptions. You have to know what it’s for. That’s why this diary entry contains a lot of explanation: those are the things I learned from the experts! Too bad the three-lane rotor roundabout in Rosmalen has already been mapped.

Mapping a turbo roundabout with JOSM

Tools used

JOSM with a detailed aerial photo background layer and style Lane and Road attributes active. This job would be near impossible with Id.

Skills required

Basic OSM editing: drawing and tagging nodes, ways, areas and relations. Cutting ways (P). Link ways to existing nodes and ways (Esc-drop, M, N). Unkink ways. Extend ways. Combining ways (C). Reverse ways (R). Copy and paste elements (Control-C and Control-V).

Skilled editing: Adjusting lines with O (round) and Q (straight). Create turn restriction relations: tag, add elements and assign roles to, via from. Use existing turn restriction to duplicate and adapt for a new restriction. Route relations: download members, identify ordering problems and membership problems, and correct sorting errors.

What?

… See full entry

This diary entry contains a wrap-up of discussions on the osm forum, (dutch section and general section). I’ve tried to capture all that has been said into a logical narrative and solution proposal.

Improved mapping of embankments

Objective

Establish improved mapping of embankments. This includes small embankments and large embankments; one-sided, two-sided and irregular embankments; embankments to contain and to protect against water, embankments to support roads and railways, and embankments serving as a traffic barrier, visual barrier or sound barrier. The aim is mainly to enable fuller rendering on maps, including at least the extent of the slopes. It is NOT the intention to establish full mapping of all aspects of embankments. However, it also should not exclude richer mapping of embankments in the future.

Starting point

Embankments can currently be mapped as:

embankment=yes on a way on the crest of the embankment.
This is especially useful if there is a road, track or path on top of the embankment. Some renderers also handle a single way tagged only with embankment=yes, without a main tag. The tag can modify the rendering of the way, to suggest it is supported by an embankment. Comparable to how a way can be altered by the tag bridge=yes. Other non-approved values are sometimes used, e.g. embankment=dyke for a way on a dyke/dike/levee. There is no established way to indicate further details of the embankment itself, e.g. left/right differences, landcover or surface, steepness, width. Theoretically one could add details like embankment=right and embankment:right:width=5 but this currently is not done. We don’t propose or oppose that.

… See full entry

I tried using a GoPro Hero on foot to assist in mapping foot routes, with mixed results. For foot route recording, you need to keep the “blind circle” as small as possible, because you want to record the surface, kerbs and the usually small poles carrying the signs. If you mount the camera say on a stick in a backpack, the forward view always is largely your own head. Second requirement: you want to capture the usually small signs, often with even smaller lettering, and the text under regular signs, which give hikers details about access and rules, e.g. dog access and breeding season closure.

… See full entry