[OSM-talk] cycle transit tagging (also applies to Motorail)

[Simon Hewison]

There's a few cycle routes that go through places where cycles are not 
allowed, tunnels and bridges, such as the Dartford crossing over the River 
Thames at Thurrock.

In places like these, there's a cycle shuttle service - where the crossing 
control people (who escort the dangerous loads etc) will load the cycle onto 
their vehicle at a rendezvous point, and you ride with them through the 
tunnel, and they unload you and your bike at another rendezvous point, where 
you can continue the journey on your bike.

There's a similar service through the Channel Tunnel (though that one costs 
money, and needs booking in advance)

Of course, a cycle route planner should know that this is a route available to 
cyclists.

Is it a ferry, available only to cyclists? How should this be tagged? How 
should the rendezvous points for the service be tagged?

For that matter, how should the normal motor vehicle Eurotunnel service 
through the Channel Tunnel be tagged, Motorail services, or other vehicle 
carrying land-based services be tagged?

(I think this was discussed briefly on the talk-de list back in November 2007)

The routing engines should be able to cope with the concept of your chosen 
mode of transport temporarily being able to transit a link (eg, rail tunnel) 
that would normally not be available to it, without being carried by another 
vehicle. It's conceptually the same to a routing engine as a ferry and 
ferry_terminal, but you might not want it rendered on maps the same way.

-- 
Simon Hewison