[Talk-transit] New proposal to store public transport data

[Michał Borsuk]

On 01/24/2011 03:04 PM, Oleksandr Vlasov wrote:
> Michał Borsuk<michal.borsuk<at>  gmail.com>  writes:
>
> Just a small set of questions:
> 1. As I can see, currently stop-on-a-way is the preferred approach for mapping
> tram stops. Do you propose to map tram stops like bus ones, i.e. beside the way?

I'd propose a platform, or a pole, or another object, on each side. 
There have been calls that it is useful for the visually impaired, and 
I'd add to it total strangers. One name for a bus stop/tram stop is not 
unique, and if you're in a totally unknown place, you don't know on 
which platform to wait.

> That makes sense, but will probably require massive change in currently mapped
> objects.

Everything slowly. The proposal does not break compatibility. Lack of 
platforms/poles merely means lack of future routing capabilities.

> 2. Withdrawing stop_areas and stop_area_groups is OK if the routing software can
> route walking person from one stop to another. I'm not sure this is the case now
> -- there's no established approach to the footways/sidewalks mapping (please
> correct me if I'm wrong). Still, it's possible to rely on stations' proximity

Exactly. Stop_area_groups come from Knoten in the German HAFAS, or 
transfer points in Google Transit, a very old concept in computer age, 
when programs didn't have the exact location of bus stops.


> 3. bus_stop already defines `ref' tag, will proposed `stop_id' be something
> different?
ref= on a bus stop? That's news to me (sadly). I used stop_id=, but the 
mess probably comes from the fact that there's mess in the 
documentation. Hopefully that can be changed easily in JOSM.

Anyway, unique ID is necessary for good routing schema, i.e. such that 
points the user to the exact pole/platform. I hate to see the tram leave 
the opposite platform.


> Regards,

Also,

LMB