[OSM-newbies] "unpaved" or "dirt"

[Richard Weait]

On Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 4:42 PM, Charlotte Wolter <techlady at techlady.com> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
>         I am tagging some locally important rural roads that run between
> small towns. They are not paved, but they are otherwise well-maintained with
> regular grading. They also are at least two lanes wide. I have been tagging
> them "tertiary" with the added tag of surface=dirt
>         Should I be using "dirt" or "unpaved"?

Paved or unpaved are more general terms.

Unpaved would work for any unpaved surface regardless of material.
Dirt, gravel, wood chip, mud, etc, are all unpaved, but more specific.

Asphalt and concrete would be more specific than paved.  Cobblestones
and interlocking stones probably count as paved but would be unusual
enough in some places to be worth noting.