[OSM-talk] Cycle lanes

[Mike Collinson]

At 07:32 AM 24/03/2008, Lars Aronsson wrote:

>It's common in Sweden to have wide sidewalks divided into half 
>footway, half cycleway.  This can happen on either or both sides 
>of the street. Should this be tagged as highway=*;cycleway=lane? 
>Technically speaking it isn't a lane because it's above the curb. 
>
>How can I indicate which (or both) sides of the street it applies 
>to? If it's only on one side, how can I indicate this?
>
>The page [[Proposed features/Sidewalk]] proposes sidewalk=right.  
>Should this be used for cycleway too?  A user comment on that page 
>mentions cycleway:right=lane.  Is that a common use, that needs to 
>be documented?
>
>The page [[Cycleway]] instead talks of lane_left and lane_right.
>
>The same page also mentions the "width" key, but what are some 
>useful values for this key?  In the case of two wide sidewalks 
>that allow bikes, some separating grass, and double street lanes, 
>should the width be the total width (in metres) from wall to wall?

As a cyclist currently in Stockholm, I personally draw a separate way and label it highway=cycleway, cycleway=track, foot=yes, surface=paved.

The main rationale for that is that it is a separate track rather than a painted lane division on someone else's road.  Sometimes the track is right next to the road, sometimes separated by a grass verge and sometimes it wanders off into the woods.

But my main reason for doing that is safety.  I *much* prefer riding these cycleways than on lanes marked on the road and deliberately plan my routes according.  Drawing a separate way makes them very obvious on the map using existing tagging.  I can also easily see where they change side of a road and if they have sections where they merge into the normal road as a lane or just disappear.

That is my personal opinion, I'm interested it what others think.

Mike

PS Here is a work-in-progress example:

Good:  The southbound Sankt Eriksgatan sidewalk cycleway really is a separate track over the bridge and really does abruptly end at Aströmergatan. As a bonus, it is clearly shown as one-way.

Bad:  An east-west sidewalk cycleway begins at the corner of Fridhemsgatan and Drottingholmvägen, but is difficult to see because of the rendering.

http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=59.33395&lon=18.02934&zoom=17&layers=B0FT