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I'm trying to learn how to properly create relations for MTB way routes and have the following questions:

  1. Is it possible to create a relation route by just designating the relation for a subset of way segment nodes instead of entire way segments? This would allow route creation without having to split ways into segments at all intersections where the route turns onto a new way. There would be no direction to the route but that is not a problem for the routes I want to create (they can be ridden either direction).
  2. (Assuming routes must consist of way segments with direction specified correctly), how do you handle a single route that passes over the same way segment twice but in opposite directions?
  3. Related to 2., how do you handle multiple routes that use the same way segment but in opposite directions? I have read that you can duplicate the way segment so you have two spatially identical way segments "on top of each other" but with opposite directions. Is that the correct way to do this? I worry that subsequent tag or other edits to the "top" way segment might miss the duplicate "bottom" segment. Also whether that would foul up name rendering if there are two identical segments with the same name rendered twice.
  4. Are there any detailed tutorials / info sources explaining how to create relations to designate routes for ways? Please reference if so.

Thanks for the assistance.

asked 23 Apr '16, 03:14

hdmtb's gravatar image

hdmtb
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accept rate: 0%

meta: here on this site please ask one question only in one "question" entry. That makes it more helpful for other people in the future.

(23 Apr '16, 21:42) aseerel4c26 ♦

re: route with nodes instead of ways I asked myself exactly the same question while mapping foot route in the city. Splitting many ways absolutely makes future maintenance way more complicated. Have you found any interesting feedback regarding this topic?

(20 Jan '22, 23:52) yrtimiD

maxerickson's answer below is still valid. You need to split the way.

(21 Jan '22, 07:53) TZorn

Routes don't have to have a direction. It's fine to split ways where needed for modeling something. Alternative ways of modeling the difference reflected in the split would anyway be just as complicated.

If a way can have traffic in both directions, there's no problem using it for routes that traverse it in one direction or the other. Ways should not overlap.

So a route can have a direction, in which case the ways would be marked as forward or backward, but it is not necessary, many ways just have a blank role, with no info about direction. The is some indication of this on the wiki page for routes:

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Relation:route#Members

permanent link

answered 23 Apr '16, 05:55

maxerickson's gravatar image

maxerickson
12.7k1083176
accept rate: 32%

Thanks for input. Still wondering about renderings that for example include arrows alongside routes to indicate intended direction. If all segments are not using the "correct" direction for a given route, those arrows will be confusing.

Also - should I include just the ways without nodes in the relations, or include ways and their nodes?

Thanks.

(23 Apr '16, 14:45) hdmtb

Don't include nodes of ways. They can and should be automatically derived from ways. Also it just makes it way more difficult to keep the relation up to date since nodes can be added and removed from ways.

(23 Apr '16, 18:01) scai ♦

2&3 : Add the way twice in the relation, and ensure that all the ways come in the proper order in the relation. You can add roles forward and backward but it is not mandatory : usually routes can be used in both directions.

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answered 23 Apr '16, 06:46

yvecai's gravatar image

yvecai
1.5k1226
accept rate: 9%

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question asked: 23 Apr '16, 03:14

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last updated: 21 Jan '22, 07:53

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