[OSM-talk] waterway=lock

Richard Fairhurst richard at systemed.net
Fri Aug 28 14:29:07 BST 2009


Peter Childs wrote:
> The Canal way will need to be split at the lock gates, (or in 
> some cases where a diversion starts (due to some rivers 
> going over weirs) while there is a lock for boats.

(UK-specific tagging stuff follows) 

Ideally I'd like to discourage people from using a (non-closed) way for
locks where possible.

It makes dealing with the data vastly harder; doesn't actually give you many
real advantages; and is actively misleading in that it suggests the length
of the way is significant. Given that UK locks have a tolerance measured in
inches, and our mapping doesn't, the length is much better expressed in the
maxlength tag.

About the one thing to be said for mapping the lock as a way, with lock-gate
nodes at either end, is that you can route a footpath over one of them.
Which is quite nice in a micro-mapping sort of way but so much of an edge
case (99% of footpath crossings are actually on lock bridges) that I don't
see a real issue.

If there's a _large_ lock - say, those on the Manchester Ship Canal - then
it should really be mapped as an area, not an unclosed way.

cheers
Richard
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