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I noticed that the OSM data for my local area is missing or incorrect, so I've spend the last couple of hours updating it from my local knowledge :D There are still some foot paths and bridleways missing, but I'm not sure of the exact locations so I'll go for a walk one day with a GPS logger.

One of the biggest issues I found was how to classify roads. Previously pretty much all of them were marked as unknown, I've read the UK guidelines, but I'm still unsure of how roads should be properly classified. Of the roads around here, other than A and B roads there are:

  1. 'Main' country roads with two lanes and road markings, obviously classed as 'tertiary'
  2. Country roads without markings which are the main routes between villages
  3. Other roads which aren't the main routes between villages
  4. Farm tracks, obviously classed as 'track'

The problem with 2 and 3 is the quality really varies depending on the road. On some roads you can safely get up to 60mph and pass another car coming in the opposite direction, on others there is grass growing in the middle of the road and you need to reverse a few hundred meters and drive into the ditch of a farm gate to allow another car to pass. I'm thinking 2 should be tertiary and 3 should be unclassified, but that still isn't completely accurate. Some of the 2 routes are more suitable than others, especially if you don't know the area (hence why you would probably use OSM).

asked 25 May '14, 21:20

lucaspiller's gravatar image

lucaspiller
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accept rate: 0%

Hi Lucaspiller, welcome. This item has or could have been discussed before you asked it in the UK group, http://forum.openstreetmap.org/viewforum.php?id=5 please ask it there again to get the right British audience to talk with. Roads are differently tagged all over the world, but at least it’s possible to get one sound/tag in one country, despite the central OSM rules that you ve been studying.

(25 May '14, 22:31) Hendrikklaas
1

@Hendrikklaas I wouldn't recommend the UK forum, it doesn't get much traffic. Apart from a message about the Balkan floods, the last message was an April Fool's joke.

(25 May '14, 22:49) SomeoneElse ♦

I tend to see tertiary as something that is very much a mappers opinion and does not follow any hard rules, the way they are mapped will certainly vary depending on where you are. I apply different criteria between Shropshire and Leicestershire.

I think you are right, they should be the main routes between villages, that does not exclude from mapping roads that are single track as tertiary where it is the best way to cross an area. I would not necessarily map a road that has 2 lanes as tertiary.

I would consider a tertiary should be continuous, and certainly not change classification where it changes from 2 lane to single track as many roads of this type do.

permanent link

answered 25 May '14, 22:30

trigpoint's gravatar image

trigpoint
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accept rate: 13%

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question asked: 25 May '14, 21:20

question was seen: 5,894 times

last updated: 25 May '14, 22:49

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