[OSM-newbies] highway=path, type={primary,secundary}?

[Craig Wallace]

On 26/03/2010 14:26, Xan wrote:
> En/na Dirk-Lüder Kreie ha escrit:

>> In Europe those are mostly tracks (wide enough for a 2-tracked vehicle
>> to pass through) and the "importance" can be read off of the
>> grade/tracktype.
>> for paths (only wide enough for walking or a horse/bicycle/motorcycle
>> etc) you can also use the physical features.
>> IMO this gives a much better picture about the tracks and paths in a
>> forest. And the "importance" is almost directly mappable to the physical
>> features, i.e. an important path or track is much better maintained, and
>> usualla also better equipped (maybe even paved), or at least wider as a
>> less important counterpart.
>>
> In the wiki page of path
> [http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:highway%3Dpath], there is a
> comment abput that it's enough wide for 4-tracked vehicle to pass
> throught and not legally impeded, then it's track. You mention
> 2-tracked. What is the real?

I think this just a question of confusing terminology.
That wiki page says a "4-wheeled" vehicle. A 4 wheeled vehicle has 2 
tracks (usually), as the front 2 wheels and rear 2 wheels are lined up 
with each other.

So on soft ground it will create 2 obvious ruts. eg like the photo here: 
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/File:Fr%C3%BChlingslandschft_Aaretal_Schweiz.jpg
So I would say that photo is of a highway=track, not highway=path.

Or also see "singletrack" in mountain biking terms: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_track_%28mountain_biking%29
That refers to a path wide enough to fit a bike along, but its too 
narrow for a 4 wheeled vehicle.

Craig