[Talk-GB] UK Tagging Guideline - wiki page proposals

[Andrew Chadwick]

On 22 April 2012 18:34, Peter Rounce <peter at rounce.me.uk> wrote:
> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Talk:United_Kingdom_Tagging_Guidelines_Consultation
> Achadwick's RoW table section
> Byway Open to All Traffic column
> motor_vehicle tag row
>
> I believe this should be 'yes' instead of '~'.

Wouldn't that just be a restatement of the inherited value?

IMO, the table's B-O-A-T/motor_vehicle cell has the right suggestion,
namely "leave it blank on objects in the database, because it's
already implied by the vehicle=yes". Leaving motor_vehicle=* unstated
on an OSM object means that data consumers should use whatever's
explicitly set on on the vehicle=* tag for motor_vehicle access to
that object. This is the way OSM access tag inheritance works
normally, and in this specific case yields the value "yes" for motor
vehicles.

> from..
> http://josm.openstreetmap.de/wiki/Presets/EnglandWalesRightsOfWay
>
> <!--
>         Rationale: the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, section 15(9)(c)
>         states that a BOAT is "[...] a highway over which the public have a
>         right of way [access=yes] for vehicular and all other kinds of
> traffic
>         but which is used by the public mainly for the purpose for which
>         footpaths and bridleways are used [access=designated]". Bicycles
> were
>         probably using bridleways commonly by 1984, so they are designated.
>       -->

In other words, motor vehicles, and indeed any kind of vehicle
including the pony-and-trap, have a legally enshrined right of way in
the relevant legislation. They are not *specifically* named by mode in
law though, so they don't get the =designated.

The dodgy argument in the comment and in the table is the one in
favour of =designated for bicycles. I'd love some feedback on that;
perhaps it should be no greater a degree of official access than that
for bridleways (bicycle=yes). However, BOATs are generally better
built for pedal cycles than are bridleways, and council signage and
websites favour lighter vehicle usage over heavier for BOATs. Dunno if
that, and the legal-historical argument, is really enough to deserve
bicycle=designated for BOATs though. Criticism welcome, I'm still
happy to maintain the presets in line with any new page which emerges.

-- 
Andrew Chadwick