[OSM-newbies] Paths and Footways

[ael]

Trevor Hook wrote:
> Hi Folks
> 
> I'm trying to get clear in my head the difference between footway and a 
> path.

I had exactly the same confusion. "Footway" is somewhat odd to British 
ears, I think, while "path" is natural. Also "footway" sounds urban 
rather than rural.

However, when I started tagging all the new paths I added in my area, 
one of the very experienced local people suggested that it was a mistake.

He suggested that tags should express the "main purpose" and that was 
best expressed by "footway" rather than "path".

So "footway" applies to purpose, whether urban or rural.

The wiki at http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:highway%3Dpath does 
seem to say something along these lines: use it where none of the other 
tags is obviously applicable (etc).

ael