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What should I do when a trail or path is blocked by a tree after a natural disaster?

The problem is that I have mapped trails and paths in my local area(North East Cost United States) but hurricane Sandy knocked down some trees in the way of some trails. How would I tag this and should I? I don't know how long it will stay like that since workers have been focusing on streets and communities rather than trails. Should I even re tag or add the barriers to the map if they are temporary what length of time is the rule of thumb on whether an item is too temporary for the map. If anyone has any input on this matter it would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

asked 12 Nov '12, 20:54

redsteakraw's gravatar image

redsteakraw
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accept rate: 22%


Whether you tag temporary stuff depends on two things:

  • How temporary is it?
  • How active are you (and other people) mapping in the area?

If something closes a hiking path for a few weeks and you are not likely to be around to notice when it opens again, then don't tag the temporary closure.

If a trail you normally walk along each day gets closed for a year, then do tag the closure.

For anything in between, use your own judgment.

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answered 12 Nov '12, 23:04

cartinus's gravatar image

cartinus
7.0k1066105
accept rate: 27%

I am the only active person in my area that I know of, I don't know how long it is going to be since the workers are very busy with other more important thing and the cleanup can take quite a bit of time or little time. One case there is a 4foot diameter trunk tree that fell not across but directly over and the roots are over 8 feet up in the air with a huge ditch. Others are just small tree that can be cleaned up with a regular chainsaw. I personaly used it because it is a shortcut and when walking trims off quite a bit of time. I see other people using it as well.

(13 Nov '12, 01:21) redsteakraw

It sounds like something that you normally walk along; so I guess that it would make sense to make it as closed, since you'll notice when it has reopened and can "re-open" it on the map when that happens.

(13 Nov '12, 03:26) SomeoneElse ♦

Would it be sensible to tag the degree of blockage somehow and say for example 4x4 no and climb over yes. Is it be possible to get some notification from the clearance teams or the management when its cleared or a number to call?

(13 Nov '12, 09:43) andy mackey

there are some useful tags you could to use: description = [some description] e.g.: path currently blocked due to hurricane sandy - or: way blocked by fallen trees, but it is possible to climb over The description-key is supposed to be used in smartphones and the like, so people using these devices could judge themselves if the way is useable for them or not.

another one is the fixme. This way you can tag a way accordingly and then add something like fixme = resurvey or fixme = check again January 2012, so to alert fellow mappers that some work needs to be done here.

(16 Nov '12, 13:28) moszkva ter
-2

Hi Red, I should tag the complete wooded area with fi a tag as Sandy disaster or alike. When the Forester declares it’s clean again, just remove the area tag. With the (your) tag, anyone is able to notice that there could be obstacles. But I wouldn’t mind on a tour, I’m not in a park but in a ‘Wilderness’ and could expect a falling tree on my path. Greetz Hendrik

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answered 12 Nov '12, 21:40

Hendrikklaas's gravatar image

Hendrikklaas
9.3k207238387
accept rate: 5%

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question asked: 12 Nov '12, 20:54

question was seen: 4,652 times

last updated: 16 Nov '12, 13:28

NOTICE: help.openstreetmap.org is no longer in use from 1st March 2024. Please use the OpenStreetMap Community Forum