[Tagging] Feature Proposal - RFC - Sidewalks as separate ways

[David Paleino]

On Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:10:36 +0000, Craig Wallace wrote:

> On 24/03/2011 20:15, David Paleino wrote:
> > Hello everybody,
> > as promised, I came back with an "official" proposal.
> >
> >    http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Proposed_features/Sidewalk_as_separate_way
> >
> > I tried to summarize what my ideas are, and why I don't believe that tagging
> > the main road is any good.
> >
> > To summarize here: to tag a sidewalk:
> >
> >   * highway=footway
> >   * footway=sidewalk
> >
> > It's that simple.
> > The basic idea is that sidewalks *are* footways. From the highway=footway
> > page: "for designated footpaths, i.e. mainly/exclusively for pedestrians".
> > And sidewalks perfectly fit IMVHO :)
> 
> How do you define "sidewalk"?

How do you define it in "real life"?

> Is it just pedestrian paths immediately adjacent to a road, with nothing 
> except a kerb in between?
> What if its further away, with grass/barriers/trees etc in between, is 
> it still a sidewalk?

Let's try to make a worldwide-acceptable definition.

I'd say, it's a sidewalk if you refer to it by referring to its main road. You
don't say: "go to the shop on the sidewalk of Main Rd.", you say "go to the
shop on Main Rd.". That's a sidewalk for me.

Otherwise, if you say "go to the shop in the middle of the park, take the
path, and turn at the second intersection, [..]", or if it has its own name
("go to the Foo Footway") -- it's a footway.

I'm sorry I can't come with a more precise definition; but I didn't think at
it at all before now, since I believed that "sidewalk"/"pavement" can easily be
recognized using common sense.

Kindly,
David

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