[OSM-newbies] Pennsylvania traffic-count data: is the license OK?

[Richard Weait]

On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 1:27 PM, Glenn Ammons <glenn.ammons at gmail.com> wrote:
> I discovered OpenStreetMap last week

Welcome!

> and immediately thought that it
> would be great to import more data about my current home state of
> Pennsylvania.

I understand that reaction!  It is a common one, too.

I think one of the great strengths of the project is that when we see
something missing, we can go and fix it.  Recently discussion was
started around this blog post by a long-time OSM contributor.  Matt
suggests that imports help the map in the short term but hurt the
community.

http://www.asklater.com/matt/wordpress/2009/09/imports-and-the-community/

It makes for a good and thought provoking read.

Those interested any aspect of the import process might join the
imports mailing list.

> There is a lot of data available at this website:
>
>    http://www.pasda.psu.edu

[ ... ]

>    THE USER AGREES AND UNDERSTANDS THAT IT MAY NOT FURTHER DISTRIBUTE THE
>    FILES TO A THIRD PARTY.

That seems like a problem, right there.  Further distribution, by OSM
is exactly the point.  Looks like they don't anticipate allowing that
type of use.

On the other hand that license sounds suitable for you, Glenn, to mash
it up and display it with OSM data on your site.  You might show OSM
as the basemap and add a traffic count heatmap, and an electoral
boundary map as selectable translucent layers.