[OSM-talk] Traffic lights

[Polderrunner]

Shaun McDonald wrote:
> I just put the traffic lights on the nodes. Life is too short to spend  
> time grouping them. There is too much Tiger fixup and unnamed, or  
> completely missing roads to enter. If the junction is large, you'll  
> probably have a longer than normal waiting time, thus it shouldn't be  
> a problem if you go through an extra set in the model.
> 

I'm also in the 
"life-is-too-short-for-complex-mapping-of-traffic-lights" camp. However, 
to provide routers etc with a realistic view of the intersection I put 
the 'outer' traffic lights at their real position before the junction 
nodes (and also before any crossing cycleways). I don't put any 
'interior' traffic lights. Example:

http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=52.04246&lon=4.32104&zoom=17&layers=0B00FTF

A router will only see one traffic light whatever direction is chosen 
through the intersection. This would be realistic for most intersections 
having synchronized signals. And the extra effort is minimal.

polderrunner