[Tagging] Feature Proposal - RFC - (Traffic Signals)

[Tom Pfeifer]

Sorry but I'm sceptical about the scheme. It adds very little value compared
to its own complexity. In particular the timing of the lights is highly volatile
in modern cities, and it seems impossible to collect the ground truth as a
mapper just by observing them.

Take the 2050 traffic lights in Berlin for example [1], which are controlled in 3 tiers.
Each junction works autonomously with predefined programmes for different times
of the day and days of the week, even if disconnected. In the next tier,
junctions are regionally clustered, so they can sync for better traffic flow.
In the third tier, they are connected with two fibre rings to the traffic
management centre in the former airport Tempelhof buildings, where their cycles can
be completely changed and adapted: to the current traffic flow or accidents,
in response to mass events, and e.g. to switch a 'green corridor' for a state visitor.

Thus as a mapper with a stop watch, you never know which of these programmes
you are currently observing.

Tom

[1] Ref: VMZ Berlin, 2013

Lukas Schaus wrote on 2015-01-15 12:15:
> Hello Everybody,
>
> please take some time to read my proposal concerning more detailed modelling of traffic signals and tell me your thoughts.
>
> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Proposed_features/Traffic_Signals
>
> I will keep track of the discussion page and the Comments section of the proposal.
>
> Greetings
>
> Lukas Schaus
>