[Talk-us] Use of ref-tag on state highways

[Alan Mintz]

At 2011-08-20 09:46, Nathan Edgars II wrote:
>On 8/20/2011 12:42 PM, Metcalf, Calvin (DOT) wrote:
>>It doesn't matter if a state like MA uses SR internally we just use that 
>>because we deal with only one states routes.  Postal code prefixes for 
>>all routes makes the most sense.

My understanding was that there are two options for California SR-60:

1) network=US:CA + ref=60
2) ref=CA 60

the second one, being older, is what we've used for the most part.


>So how do you distinguish California from Canada? Or Delaware from Germany?

Assume that, lacking a network tag, the ref tag is composed of "state #" or 
"I #" or "US #".

In other countries, they presumably also have adopted their own standards 
for the format of the ref tag.

>And do you support putting an abbreviation of the county name in the ref 
>tag for a county route? Or are those fine with the "ambiguous" CR?

I don't think CR is ambiguous, since there is no state by that name. I also 
favor (and use) adding the network=US:state:county to these. I know that in 
California, the county roads are actually unique throughout the state, so 
the county is not required, but it is present on the signage, so I make 
note of it in this way.

--
Alan Mintz <Alan_Mintz+OSM at Earthlink.net>