[Tagging] service vs. unclassified, conflicting definitions

gyotoku810 gyotoku810 at gmail.com
Sat Oct 1 17:18:10 UTC 2022


The description doesn't work as a definition: "Generally for access to a 
building, service station, beach, campsite, industrial estate, business 
park, etc. This is also commonly used for access to parking, driveways, 
and alleys."

A dead-end public road to a facility (called "service road"?) should 
obviously be mapped as "unclassified", but this road also fits the 
description of "service".

We need some wording about "private" or "public" such as the suggestion 
by Stevea:

 > "unclassified" roads, as a "real legal roads" are "in public," and 
subject to traffic rules/laws/ordinances, and
 >
 > "service" roads, as "private driveways, parking lot aisles and other 
roads not in the public grid of road network" are "on private property" 
and not (as) subject to traffic rules/laws/ordinances

There are roads used like public roads even though they are on private 
land (at least in Japan). This should be "unclassified". That is, we 
cannot simply use "is it on public or private land" to distinguish 
between "unclassified" and "service". In other words, 
highway=unclassified + access=private is not highway=service.

Another issue with "service" is service=alley. Physically narrow roads 
(car cannot pass) that are legally the same as normal public roads are 
sometimes tagged as highway=service + service=alley because it renders 
thin on the map. These roads are still a part of road networks for 
foot/bicycle/motorcycles, so they logically should be tagged as 
highway=unclassified + width=* (motorcar=no cannot be used because not a 
legal restriction?) or highway=path + mofa/moped/motorcycle=yes.

Anyway, I think the definitions both of highway=service and service=* 
should be refined.

gyotoku810



More information about the Tagging mailing list