As a related question to [Does the name tag make sense for a tram track?][1]: Is it a good idea at all to use name=\* and especially ref=\* on tram tracks? Usually (at least in Germany where I live) tram tracks themselves do not have names or numbers -- only the tram lines which run over them do. People don't say "that is the tram track 632", they say "tram 632 runs there". At present the wiki for [railway=tram][2] recommends to use name=/ref= for the line name/reference. It seems to me that name (if applicable) and number of a tram line are better mapped using the relation "route" (see [Relation:route][3]). * It is the established mechanism for mapping public transport lines (I believe) * It makes it easier to find the complete extent of a line - if you use name=\* on the track, software must piece together all tracks with the same name to find the line (and what about misspelled names?) * There may be two different lines with the same name (e.g. in neighbouring cities); these can only be kept distinct using relations * Commonly more than one line runs on a single track - there's no way to tag this using name=\*/ref=\*. So wouldn't it be better to change the wiki so it discourages use of name=\*/ref=\* for tram tracks, and recommends relations instead? Of course, if a certain track itself is known by a name, that would be ok to tag as such. Proposed wording: > To tag which tram lines run over the the > tag, use a Relation:route. > > name=\* and and > ref=\* should only be used if the the > track itself has a name or a a > designation, independent of the tram tram > lines running over it (which is is > relatively uncommon, at least in most most > parts of Europe). [1]: http://help.openstreetmap.org/questions/2307/does-the-name-tag-make-sense-for-a-tram-track [2]: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:railway%3Dtram [3]: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Relation:route

As a related question to [Does the name tag make sense for a tram track?][1]: Is it a good idea at all to use name=* name=\* and especially ref=* ref=\* on tram tracks? Usually (at least in Germany where I live) tram tracks themselves do not have names or numbers -- only the tram lines which run over them do. People don't say "that is the tram track 632", they say "tram 632 runs there". At present the wiki for [railway=tram][2] recommends to use name=/ref= for the line name/reference. It seems to me that name (if applicable) and number of a tram line are better mapped using the relation "route" (see [Relation:route][3]). * It is the established mechanism for mapping public transport lines (I believe) * It makes it easier to find the complete extent of a line - if you use name=* name=\* on the track, software must piece together all tracks with the same name to find the line (and what about misspelled names?) * There may be two different lines with the same name (e.g. in neighbouring cities); these can only be kept distinct using relations * Commonly more than one line runs on a single track - there's no way to tag this using name=*/ref=*. name=\*/ref=\*. So wouldn't it be better to change the wiki so it discourages use of name=*/ref=* name=\*/ref=\* for tram tracks, and recommends relations instead? Of course, if a certain track itself is known by a name, that would be ok to tag as such. Proposed wording: To tag which tram lines run over the tag, use a Relation:route. name=* name=\* and ref=* ref=\* should only be used if the track itself has a name or a designation, independent of the tram lines running over it (which is relatively uncommon, at least in most parts of Europe). [1]: http://help.openstreetmap.org/questions/2307/does-the-name-tag-make-sense-for-a-tram-track [2]: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:railway%3Dtram [3]: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Relation:route

As a related question to [Does the name tag make sense for a tram track?][1]: Is it a good idea at all to use name=* and especially ref=* on tram tracks? Usually (at least in Germany where I live) tram tracks themselves do not have names or numbers -- only the tram lines which run over them do. People don't say "that is the tram track 632", they say "tram 632 runs there". At present the wiki for [railway=tram][2] recommends to use name=/ref= for the line name/reference. It seems to me that name (if applicable) and number of a tram line are better mapped using the relation "route" (see [Relation:route][3]). * It is the established mechanism for mapping public transport lines (I believe) * It makes it easier to find the complete extent of a line - if you use name=* on the track, software must piece together all tracks with the same name to find the line (and what about misspelled names?) * There may be two different lines with the same name (e.g. in neighbouring cities); these can only be kept distinct using relations * Commonly more than one line runs on a single track - there's no way to tag this using name=*/ref=*. So wouldn't it be better to change the wiki so it discourages use of name=*/ref=* for tram tracks, and recommends relations instead? Of course, if a certain track itself is known by a name, that would be ok to tag as such. Proposed wording: To tag which tram lines run over the tag, use a Relation:route. name=* and ref=* should only be used if the track itself has a name or a designation, independent of the tram lines running over it (which is relatively uncommon, at least in most parts of Europe). [1]: http://help.openstreetmap.org/questions/2307/does-the-name-tag-make-sense-for-a-tram-track [2]: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:railway%3Dtram [3]: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Relation:route