[OSM-talk] definition of the main highway-tag

[David Lynch]

On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 19:31, Martin Koppenhoefer<dieterdreist at gmail.com> wrote:
> 2009/8/5 David Lynch <djlynch at gmail.com>:
>>> no, I don't agree. A highway becomes motorway when it get's legally
>>> promoted to be a motorway (by the motorway-sign this is indicated).
>>
>> The USA has no such sign, nor do Canada and Mexico (AFAIK.) Do we have
>> no motorways?
>
> Well I can't tell from personal knowledge, German WIkipedia says you got this:
> http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:I-95.svg&filetimestamp=20070518055237

That indicates that it's part of the Interstate system. Every highway
on the Interstate system is a motorway-class (high-speed and
grade-separated) road, but not every motorway-class road in the United
States is an Interstate. There is no equivalent to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zeichen_330.svg to draw a clear line
between highway=motorway and highway=something else.

-- 
David J. Lynch
djlynch at gmail.com