[OSM-talk] Highway tags and other junk

[Ben Robbins]

>>Before you  say these don’t need to be labeled separately please note that
>>the average speed on the 1st type would be about 55mph, while on the 4th 
>>it
>>would be about 15mph.  A route planner must sort these apart.

>That can be covered with the speed limit tag.

It can't as the speed limit is 60mph for all of them.  I was stating the 
speed wich you would expect to travel at rather than the legal maximum 
speed.

>Another reason why we sorely need a distinction between highway 
>classification and surface type is a road in St Albans that has houses down 
>it, but is basically a dirt track. At the moment I tagged it as 
>highway=track but that's far from ideal.

The tracktype tag covers the surfaces information sufficiently.  If a track 
is covered in hardcore, then I think its suffieicnt information just to say 
that its a tracktype=grade2, rather than state the materials as 
limestone=yes, stonesize=moderate, mud=no etcetc.  Although if a person 
wanted to they could add these, I think usually its unnessesery.

>I think the best way to go would be to clearly separate the official 
>classification (probably unclassified in these cases) from the physical 
>features (width, surface condition, etc.) and features relevant for 
>particular contexts (speed limit, safety for cyclists, pavement, etc.)

Tracktype does this.  HIGHWAY states the political TRACKTYPE states the 
phisical.  Your responce ties in with the 1st tag bascially, and an 
additional value would need to cover the phiisical attributes of the 
highway.  Tracktype could still do that if there were more tags under it, 
but it wouldnt seem the correct word to use.

>Either you or I am mistaken. I don't believe that the highway tag
>implies (or should imply) any rights of way.

The only ones on there that dont state political information are 
highway=track highway=steps and highway=tertiary, of wich I use neither as 
they dont appear to currently fit in.   Please explain why its wrong, but I 
would still say that the highway tag should, and is mostly is, used for 
stating the rights of way.

>in Denmark a track can be public, private or restricted

Thats my point.  The track in itself doesnt hold any particualar access 
right.  Im not being UK-centric in any way.  Hence the over all proposal is 
to move to phisical attributes! sigh.

Ben

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