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Hi<br>
<br>
I've been looking at this thread with interest and it is probably at
risk of resurrecting the endless (?) debate about the use of foot-way,
path etc. tags. Without expressing any personal view, to avoid
reopening that debate, I would merely note that - rightly or wrongly -
the highway=footway tag has been enormously used both for smooth paved
urban and suburban paths (wheelchair / pram / shopping trolley
friendly) and for invisible-on-the-ground rural or back country paths
that are interrupted by obstacles such as gradients, gates, stiles,
scrambles, etc. - and for everything in between. Equally, the
highway=path tag has been used widely - but not often for the most
urban paved paths. This is - whether or not we like it - the current
situation. There have been many proposals for change, rationalisation
or consolidation - some are very good, maybe others less so! Such is
life.<br>
<br>
The use of the sac scale is - perhaps not surprisingly - mostly
restricted at present to paths in the more 'challenging' rural areas -
e.g. hill and mountain country, especially in continental Europe (again
not surprisingly given its origins). It provides very valuable
information for walkers in this sort of area - but (again
unsurprisingly, given its pedigree) does not differentiate well at the
bottom end of the scale between various kinds of 'easy' paths - e.g.
(a) a well marked and signed path in a 'honey pot' region of the
countryside that is unpaved and has stiles and/or gates that would make
e.g. wheelchair or pram access difficult vs. (b) an urban paved
footpath that gives access, for all classes of user, say, to a town
park or a shopping mall.<br>
<br>
I cannot really make any recommendation beyond the usual one - dredge
through the numerous wiki entries and the numerous threads on talk
lists!<br>
<br>
I suppose that this has not been very helpful ... sorry!<br>
<br>
Mike<br>
<br>
On 19:59, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:nicholas.g.lawrence@tmr.qld.gov.au">nicholas.g.lawrence@tmr.qld.gov.au</a> wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:%3COFD15CF08B.A76BE54A-ON4A2576E7.007EFDA2-4A2576E7.007F21C1@tmr.qld.gov.au%3E"
type="cite">
<p><tt><br>
> >>> .. I'm still unclear how one is supposed to<br>
> >>> distinguish between a smooth, wide urban footpath and
a hiking trail.<br>
</tt><br>
<tt>A footpath can be traversed by a weelchair, perambulator or
shopping trolley?</tt><br>
<br>
<tt>Regards,</tt><br>
<tt>Nick</tt><br>
<br>
</p>
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<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<b><i>Mike Harris</i></b></div>
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