Why are you mapping sidewalks as separate paths, rather than as tags on roadways?

While sidewalks as tags are adequate for many applications, they lack the ability to add detail to crossings and curbs. This information is vital for people who use visual and/or mobility aids. There is a project called OpenSidewalks which aims to bring equity to pedestrian data and provide routing tools for people whom have more specific mobility needs than what traditional routing tools can accommodate. Here is an excerpt from their mission:

Pedestrian pathways are critical infrastructure in urban environments that help people engage in their professional, community, and daily lives. To promote equitable urban growth, transit-oriented development, and resilient communities, we must give strategic, pedestrian-centric consideration to our sidewalks and pedestrian pathways, which are the dynamic connective tissue of our physical environments. Individuals experience the built environment in innumerable ways depending upon many factors, including their mobility. Therefore, their optimal path through the built environment is not necessarily the shortest or most direct route (despite the inherent Google Maps bias). Rather, their travel experience is influenced by static physical features, e.g., the availability of curb ramps and auditory signaling at crosswalks, as well as transient conditions (like precipitation). Automated routing applications can also make great use of this kind of data. For example, provided with such information, individuals prone to slipping on wet terrain could circumvent cobblestone sidewalk surfaces on rainy days, and individuals who require curb ramps can selectively identify routes that can accommodate their needs.

Additionally, much of Montréal already had sidewalks mapped as separate ways, and I am just expanding that coverage.

Guidelines

Sidewalks

Sidewalks should be:

… See full entry