[Tagging] How to tag traffic islands ?

[Greg Troxel]

Gerd Petermann <GPetermann_muenchen at hotmail.com> writes:

> It seems that many mappers associate words like "island" or "traffic island"
>
> with an area on a road that is enclosed by a white line and
>
> maybe hatched lines ("schraffiert")
>
> Also often used: traffic_calming=*

In the US, it is only an "island" if there is a real curb and elevated
area, so that if a car tried to drive on it there would be trouble.

> my understanding is that you are not allowed to cross them
> with a vehicle and that they should not be used for parking.

In the US, there are areas with hatched lines and it seems the
no-parking notion is implicit.  These are almost part of roads but
prohibited.

I think the distinction between just lines and a physical impediment to
driving is important.

As to calling them pedestrian refuges, I see that as recent usage and
applicable more to things that are both islands and also have better
barriers (concrete posts so that someone trying to drive on it would be
stopped) and also something that has been installed as part of a
modern/trendy "traffic calming" effort.  And particularly
islands/barriers in the middle of a crossing where they would not exist
except to try to make things better for pedestrians, vs a barrier strip
that makes a road pseudo-divided in general.
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