[OSM-talk] Newbie - questions I didn't find definate answers in the wiki or list archives

[Timothy C Litwiller]

I didn't find a newbie list so I've been reading the wiki and this list 
for the last week.
  I've been working on streets in and around Wichita and Newton, Kansas 
for the last week, it seems there has been little done since the tiger 
data import, as most freeway(motorway) intersections also connect 
directly to the crossing street. I've been disconnecting and making sure 
that the entrance and exit ramps match the yahoo image. and adding 
bridges to the appropriate way.

But before I do to much damage it would be nice if someone could give me 
"constructive criticism" if and what I am missing and if I am doing 
things correctly.
see this area 
http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=37.6777&lon=-97.3922&zoom=14&layers=B000FTF
and
http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=38.0556&lon=-97.3127&zoom=14&layers=B000FTF

I haven't even started describing lanes etc. You current discussion of 
lanes on bridges is very interesting and I am assuming some of it also 
pertains to lanes in a city setting.


also - more questions about roads in a rural setting.

we have dirt and/or sand or gravel roads every mile - I think I'll put 
surface=unpaved and surface=dirt,  is there a preferred way to designate 
, like the UPS and Fedex men have maps,  of which roads are not passable 
when wet?
then about about every 5 - 10 miles there will be a county road that is 
very rough pavement and between towns or out to the state or US highways 
there will be a better paved road,  then the US or state highway will 
lead out to the interstate freeway

so help me make sure I understand these levels
interstate freeway = motorway
US highway = primary
state highway = secondary
good county highway = terterary
or
county highway = residential surface=paved smoothness=good
poor county highway = residential surface=paved smoothness=bad

graveled & sand road highway= track? surface=unpaved
dirt road = highway= track? surface=dirt
if it is not passable when wet is there something else to add or will 
surface=dirt be the key
then of course once in a while there are roads that have signs "minimum 
maintenance" they aren't even good for bicycle travel - tractors and 
4wheel drives are all that go there.

nearing a destination you might want a gps device to use the county 
highways in a route but certainly not route thru them unless you had to 
use them to get to a particular stop. and the gravel or dirt roads you'd 
want to not route at all unless there was no other way to get to that 
stop - ie the stop was not on a paved road. Is there something that 
would key that.