[OSM-talk] Bike / Pedestrian directions on the MQ Open sites

[M∡rtin Koppenhoefer]

2011/3/6 Paul Johnson <baloo at ursamundi.org>:
>> for motorways it is generally assumed that bikes can't use them, there
>> you should look for bicycle=yes IMHO. For trunk roads (and other roads
>> as well) there is also the tag motorroad=yes which prohibits cycling.
>
> As has been repeatedly pointed out, most North American states and
> provinces permit bicycles on motorways and trunks, and where they're
> not, they're explicitly posted otherwise.


Last time I read a discussion about bicycles on interstates the only
known spot where they were allowed in the US was some few miles on one
rural interstate highway (where there was if I recall right no other
alternative route for many miles).

For trunk roads the situation is different, but the nature of
motorways is to restrict traffic
for slow vehicles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highway_systems_with_full_control_of_access_and_no_cross_traffic

the wiki states for the USA http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Highway
motorway = "Limited access freeway with interchanges."
In my reading every highway which is not limited access should not be
tagged as motorway, be it in north america or elsewhere.

cheers,
Martin