[OSM-talk] footway vs. path [Was: highway=track and motorcar=yes/no]

[Lauri Kytömaa]

>> Are paths larger than footways?
>> Is it for paths required that any other vehicle/horse can use the path
>> otherwise it is a footway?
>There is no defined physical difference between footway and path.  The 
>difference is that footways are primarily or exclusively for use by foot 
>traffic, while paths are not.

Just a thought; it all comes down to horse riding.

Luckily the wording was chosen to include "open to all non-motorized 
vehicles". At least if the German law forbids equestrian traffic on 
sidewalk and cycleways (as it seems to do), with highway=path they'd have 
to enter horse=no for every f^H^H single sidewalk and cycle lane. Such 
clear cases are, IMO too, left as footways and cycleways which forbid 
horses, with possibly a bicycle=designated or foot=designated where equal 
designation is present.

As a consequence, a path is often *likely* smaller or looks less man-made 
than a footway or cycleway (the hiking trails type), but could be bigger 
(for example a dedicated, built-up and wide snowmobile route that would be 
wrong to claim as a footway).

Now who can convince the germans to change their tagging recommendations?

-- 
alv