[Talk-ca] Tagging sidewalks as separate ways and issues with bicycle routing

[Niels Elgaard Larsen]

Martin Chalifoux via Talk-ca:
> It is not hard Justin, just inadequate. The app then tell you “turn right on path”
> rather than “turn right on Main Street”. Close enough.
> 
> I was assuming pedestrians can figure to use a sidewalk without it being added to a
> map, but maybe that’s more difficult than I’d assumed.


Routing software might prefer roads with sidewalks.

And if there is only sidewalks on one side of the road that might make a difference
for routing.

But that is why we can tag roads with sidewalk=both/left/right

Which I think is most of the time a much better solution.

I have had to change or delete a lot of individual sidewalks in Canada because of
topology problems. But there is still a lot left.

For example:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/138463840
and all the other sidewalks next to it.

These sidewalks are not connected to anything. And that is a big problem.
If you start your walking journey from inside one of these blocks, you will not go
anywhere because the router will know that you are on a way that is not connected to
anything. No route to destination.
Or you get routes like this:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=graphhopper_foot&route=42.99484%2C-81.18224%3B42.99590%2C-81.18204#map=18/42.99581/-81.17946

I have experienced this IRL and it is very frustrating.

Ottawa is better.
But consider a route like this:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=graphhopper_foot&route=45.38337%2C-75.64155%3B45.38313%2C-75.64109

That is not how you would actually visit you neighbor.
Adding a lot of driveways or paths connecting the sidewalk to the road helps.
But most real users would not let one meter of grass stop them from crossing the road.

-- 
Niels Elgaard Larsen