[Tagging] 2 meaning for crossing=zebra

Bryan Housel bhousel at gmail.com
Fri Oct 26 13:28:58 UTC 2018


> On Oct 26, 2018, at 6:26 AM, marc marc <marc_marc_irc at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Le 26. 10. 18 à 01:18, Bryan Housel a écrit :
>> I don’t like `crossing=zebra` either.<...> iD will support these 2 presets:
>> - `crossing=marked` which is labeled “Marked Crosswalk"
>> - `crossing=unmarked` which is labeled “Unmarked Crossing”
> 
> thanks for understanding that a issue exist, the first step
> to solve it :)
> 
> but I don't understand how the new preset will solve the problem


Well.. The “problem” is not a tag problem, but rather a people problem.  

Even experienced OSM contributors can’t agree on what the top values for crossing mean (this thread should make this point clear) and beginner contributors are hopelessly lost because the current top values don’t even sound like what they are trying to represent.  (you can review the top values here:  https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/keys/crossing#values)

“crossing=uncontrolled” - all new people I’ve talked to think this means “no markings”.  People with experience in traffic planning understand road markings as control devices.

“crossing=traffic_signals” - new people usually assume this means “has a button and walk/don't walk sign” - It says nothing about the markings or the safety of whether you should even cross there.  In many places there are traffic_signals but no markings.

“crossing=zebra” - new people think this is weird, but understand it means stripes on the ground like the Abbey Road album cover. 

“crossing=island” - nobody I have talked to knows how to use this tag.




> since you put the marking information in the key whose main use is to 
> inform the security of the passage (presence or not of traffic lights)
> We had 2 incompatible schemas, let's avoid to create a third one :)

`crossing=marked` and `crossing=unmarked` are not new.  They’ve been in use for years.

They solve the problem in that they are unambiguous and beginner-friendly.

Thanks,
Bryan





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