[OSM-newbies] are roads driveable?

[Dave F.]

Mike Harris wrote:
> Hi
>
> I can't agree with Dave F's interpretation of the wiki for highway=track - see http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Map_Features#Highway where the definition is given as:
>
> "Roads for agricultural use, gravel roads in the forest etc.; usually unpaved/unsealed but may occasionally apply to paved tracks as well, see tracktype=* for more guidance." 
>
> This is the way in which I use it - and I thought that was relatively uncontroversial. I would use a sport key for a race track etc.
>
> A path is never drivable by a mechanically-propelled vehicle - a track is usually drivable by at least some sort of mechanically-propelled vehicle, typically to the extent indicated by tracktype=
>
> I do, however, completely agree with his comments on highway=unclassified (and highway=road) - where the former relates to minor roads in the countryside that are less important than highway=tertiary - whether or not they lead somewhere is subjective - they might be access roads only of no use to through traffic or they might be minor links between villages or over a mountain pass - but I would expect them to be drivable by a motor-car (not necessarily 4WD). Round here I use them all the time to get from A to B - if you know the road it is always shorter and often quicker than tackling the main roads!
>
> Mike Harris
>  
>
>   
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dave F. [mailto:davefox at madasafish.com] 
>> Sent: 13 October 2009 11:33
>> To: newbies at openstreetmap.org
>> Subject: Re: [OSM-newbies] are roads driveable?
>>
>> David ``Smith'' wrote:
>>     
>>> On Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 11:54 PM, Aspen Swartz 
>>>       
>> <aspendel at gmail.com> wrote:
>>     
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> None of the categories are hard-and-fast, and especially 
>>>>         
>> since it's a 
>>     
>>>> user-generated map, your mileage on each road in your car may vary.
>>>> Off the top of my head though, "footway", "path" and "pedestrian"
>>>> probably won't take vehicles; "track" may only be suitable for 
>>>> 4-wheel drive vehicles; and in rural areas "driveway" and 
>>>> "residential" may not be free to access. "unclassified" 
>>>>         
>> may be tagged 
>>     
>>>> that way because the mapper didn't know the nature of the 
>>>>         
>> road.  All 
>>     
>>>> the other roadtypes look driveable to me.
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> I thought highway=track was meant for race tracks.
>>>       
>> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:highway%3Dtrack
>> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:tracktype
>>
>>     
>>>   Running, horse
>>> racing, auto racing, that sort of thing. 
>>>       
>> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:leisure
>>     
>>>  Isn't that what the wiki
>>> says?  If you're talking about a track left by occasional 
>>>       
>> passage of 
>>     
>>> animals or vehicles where there's no road, I think that's what 
>>> highway=path is for.
>>>
>>> Unclassified is a very poorly-named tag, because in reality 
>>>       
>> it is its 
>>     
>>> own distinct classification.  It's used on mostly rural 
>>>       
>> roads that are 
>>     
>>> driveable enough, but don't go anywhere useful to through 
>>>       
>> traffic and 
>>     
>>> are not residential in nature.  If the mapper doesn't know 
>>>       
>> the nature 
>>     
>>> of the road, it should be tagged highway=road.
>>>
>>>   
>>>       

Hi Mike
Just to avoid unnecessary confusion, were you replying to my of Dave 
Smith's reply.
I didn't make any direct comments, I just posted links to the wiki which 
was already written.

Cheers
Dave F.