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Hi everyone, I wanted to edit types of traffic signs on OSM map to be visible to everyone, but besides sign for parking places and bus stops, I hadn't found any other category for traffic signs like speed limit, animals on the road... Please could anyone explain me the process of creating new symbols and uploading it onto OSM map?

Thank you in advance!

asked 05 Oct '15, 18:55

Mimacha011's gravatar image

Mimacha011
41115
accept rate: 0%


As a mapper (surveyor) you can decide what you upload to OSM (our Wiki has more on traffic signs), but you cannot control what appears on (any given) map. You have to understand that there are many maps made from OSM data, and the ones on www.openstreetmap.org are just example. Which traffic signs these map show, is at the map designer's discretion. You can of course make your own map from OSM data that shows each and every traffic sign but that requires getting to understand the process of map making ("rendering") as well as a suitable server on which you can run it.

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answered 05 Oct '15, 22:27

Frederik%20Ramm's gravatar image

Frederik Ramm ♦
82.5k927201273
accept rate: 23%

Thank you for your answer. And what about uploading that new symbol onto main OSM maps? Does that requires a period of time for approval to appear on map? Could you recommend me some website where could I find out more about this specific topic? All the best!

(05 Oct '15, 22:46) Mimacha011
6

Every OSM map is maintained by different people. The standard map on www.openstreetmap.org for example is a GitHub based project - you can open an issue there and attach your images. However be prepared to accept a polite "no" as an answer; the goal of that map is to be a usable general-purpose map that shows off OSM, not a map that shows everything everyone would like to be present (that would make the map totally unusable due to excessive detail).

You might also consider talking to the people at ITO who make a range of special-interest OpenStreetMap based maps; perhaps there's room for a traffic sign map there.

(06 Oct '15, 07:18) Frederik Ramm ♦
2

You can take a look at Finnish Traffic Signs (wiki page), which is a style for JOSM, one of the editors for OSM. All Finnish traffic signs are visible. The Dutch community made a similar style for their traffic signs. One of the problems with coming up with a global map for traffic signs is that they might look (totally) different in different countries. And when you show them all, they will clutter up the map easily, see the screenshot on the wiki page.

(06 Oct '15, 16:55) escada

Thank you very much for usable piece of information. :)

(07 Oct '15, 21:43) Mimacha011
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question asked: 05 Oct '15, 18:55

question was seen: 2,771 times

last updated: 07 Oct '15, 21:43

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