[Tagging] Dispute on highway=mini_roundabout

[Jaakko Helleranta.com]

On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 6:26 PM, Tobias Knerr <osm at tobias-knerr.de> wrote:

> Well, according to the definition it _is_ erroneous.
>
Amen.

Now the real question is whether we should change the definition.(...)

would there be any reason left to prefer mini_roundabout
> for roundabouts that are "not strictly a mini-roundabout"?


After reading through the thread that brings out various good points I
think that we should:
1) Allow tagging of small-ish roundabouts with merely a junction=roundabout
tagged node. It's provides a good first crack at mapping things.
2) Especially allow (if not encourage) tagging of small (if not miniature)
sized roundabouts with a center island / that are not-traversible with
junction=roundabout
3) We should not confuse mini-roundabout and small "miniature" roundabouts.
They are clearly different types of objects just like culverts and bridges
(which are also often confused).
-
I checked and fixed all of Caribbean and found zero mini-roundabouts (for
those spots that had good enough imagery). Most were small roundabouts,
many turning circles, some "turning loops" (not many), few dead-ends with
clearly no reason for any turning*/junction tag.

As I can't really understand why we should continue to tag things evidently
wrong I also fixed Southern Florida up to the level of I-595/I-75. In FL
the biggest problems were center island (->junction=roundabout),
turning_circles, some "turning loops", no dead-ends.

I found 4 real mini-roundabouts in S. FL:
http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/node/99383970 &
http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/node/99383976
and
http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/node/1747303715 &
http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/node/1747303913

I think the reason for this confusion is pretty clearly the
- missing support for tagging small roundabouts by just tagging the node
with junction=roundabout
- lack of emphasis on the documentation that mini-roundabouts are not just
small roundabouts
- combined with the fact that few people in the US have seen
mini-roundabouts.
- and the normal mistakes that come with a wiki-like Open community-based
system. (Which I assume to be the biggest reason for wrongly tagged
turning_circles, the sign of the mini-roundabout is so tempting..).

All in all, nothing that we shouldn't simply fix and move on.

Now, should we change the mini_roundabout from highway=* to junction=* -- I
don't care / have a strong opinion but it's probably easier not to touch it.

Cheers from Haiti,
-Jaakko
http://osm.org/user/jaakkoh

--
jaakko at helleranta.com * Skype: jhelleranta * Mobile: +509-37-269154  *
http://go.hel.cc/MyProfile
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