[OSM-talk] Canada road data available?

[Jason Reid]

Paul Fox wrote:
> there's another dataset available, the RNF (Road Network File)
> dataset, which includes names down to small street level.  i
> don't know how close the license is between the two, not having
> looked at both.  when i inquired as to the differences, i was
> told that the geobase (National Road Network) data was more
> spatially accurate, and a "lot more up to date" than the Stats
> Canada (RNF data).
>
> but, like the NRN data, the RNF data is roads only -- no water,
> no anything else.  i've also noticed anomolies in the shape data
> that i haven't tracked down, though those might be a rendering
> issue in RoadMap.
>
> the RNF data is here:
>      http://geodepot.statcan.ca/Diss/2006Dissemination/Data/FRR_RNF_e.cfm?language=E&format=A
> it's in shapefile format.
>
> the RoadMap project uses the RNF data -- i didn't learn of the
> NRN data until later.
>
> can i ask if there's a specific reason you're working on converting
> the GML version of their data, and not the shapefile version?  is
> that based on technical merits?
>
> paul
> p.s. i'm the current maintainer of RoadMap (http://roadmap.sourceforge.net)
> p.p.s. i'm very new to OSM.
>  
>   
The main reason for working with the GML is that its fairly similar to 
OSM's data format, pretty much each RoadSegment in the GML is converted 
to a way and tagged with the relevant values that belong to that 
RoadSegment. There are a few things in the code that still need to be 
optimized, one of the largest being how it handles nodes at 
intersections (currently I believe its creating duplicates).

The RNF data I had seen in the past, but was unable to actually find 
what the license was. I suspect it may be similar to the Geobase data, 
or possibly to the Geogratis data (yet another Dept. of Natural 
Resources data project) but I never did follow up and find out.

Jason Reid